Vigna mungo
(L.) Hepper
Mung bean, Urd, Black gram
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(c) along2022, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) along2022, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds, Pods, Vegetable
Young seedpods are cooked and used as a vegetable; they measure approximately 40–70mm long and 5mm wide. The dried seeds are boiled and used in a variety of recipes, or ground into a flour as a protein-enhancing additive for bread and similar foods. In India they are an essential ingredient of idli and dosa — acid-leavened fermented cakes made from rice and dhal. The ellipsoid seeds, usually black and up to 5mm long, are the primary edible part. Young leaves are also eaten.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. Mainly coastal but probably will grow up to 1800 m altitude in the tropics. It suits dry areas. It is drought resistant. It is grown in areas with rainfall of 900 mm per year. It cannot stand frost or long periods of cloud. It is not suited to the wet tropics. In Nepal they grow to 2000 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Central Africa, Central Asia, Congo, Cuba, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Fiji, Gabon, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Marianas, Mauritius, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, North Africa, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Pakistan, Philippines, SE Asia, Sikkim, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Indies,
How to Identify
A small annual bean with hairy pods. It is an erect herb 20-80 cm tall. Sometimes the stems are twining. The stems have dense yellow or rusty hairs. Leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are oval and 3-10 cm long by 1-5.5 cm wide. The leaf stalks are long but the leaflets stalks are short. Flowers are yellow. They are 1-2 cm long in dense flower clusters. The fruit is a pod 4-7 cm long. They are 5-6 mm wide. Seeds are small and black. There are 4 to 10 seeds per pod. Seeds are 4-4.5 mm long by 4 mm wide. They have square ends.
Nutrition Score: 64/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds - raw | 12 | 981 | 235 | 22 | 24 | — | 8 | — |
| Seeds young sprouted cooked | 93.4 | 88 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 11.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
How to Grow
It is grown from seed. Seed collection is easy. Seed can be broadcast or sown as individual plants 25 cm apart.
Propagation: Pre-soak seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in situ. The seed generally sprouts within 7–10 days.
Medicinal Uses
In traditional medicine, the seed is valued for its suppurative, cooling, and astringent properties. It is ground into a powder, moistened, and applied as a poultice on abscesses.
Other Uses
Plants are grown as a green manure, and are commonly intercropped in the wet season in India with sugar cane, cotton, groundnut, sorghum, or pigeon pea. In the dry season the plant is often sole cropped on rice fallow. The seed flour is rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute, leaving skin smooth and soft.
Wikipedia
Source ↗The black gram or urad bean (Vigna mungo) is a bean grown in South Asia. Like its relative the mung bean, it has been reclassified from the genus Phaseolus to Vigna. The product sold as black gram is usually the whole urad bean, whereas the split bean (the interior being white) is called white lentil. It should not be confused with the much smaller true black lentil (Lens culinaris). Black gram originated in South Asia, where it has been in cultivation from ancient times and is one of the most highly prized pulses of India. It is very widely used in Indian cuisine. In India the black gram is one of the important pulses grown in both kharif and rabi seasons. This crop is extensively grown in the southern part of India and the northern part of Bangladesh and Nepal. In Bangladesh and Nepal it is known as mash daal. It is a popular daal (legume) side dish in South Asia that goes with curry and rice as a platter. Black gram has also been introduced to other tropical areas such as the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, Myanmar and Africa mainly by Indian immigrants during the Indian indenture system.
Production
Flowering commences after 6 weeks. Plants are self pollinated. Pods are ready to harvest 2 to 4 months after planting. Pods shatter easily. It is easiest to pull the whole plant, dry them for a week then thresh out the seeds. Seed yields of 450-560 kg per hectare after 80-120 days are common. 100 seeds weigh about 4 g.
Other Information
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is being encouraged and grown in a number of coastal areas in Papua New Guinea. It is a very important crop in India for dahl and porridge.
Notes
There are about 150 Vigna species. They are mostly in the tropics.
Names & Synonyms
Adad, Akwa sos, Arad, Banmasyang, Dau muong-an, Dengu, Karu-minimulu, Maga, Mas, Mash kalai, Masha, Matimah, Mat-pe, Minumulu, Nallaminumulu, Pani-payir, Tikari kalai, Uddu, Udid, Ulundu, Ullundu, Undu, Urad, Urd dhal, Urdi, Uzhunnu
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