The Pantry / Mung Bean Starch
Mung Bean Starch
Vigna radiata · green bean starch · laping starch
A bean reduced to its texture.
What it is
Mung bean starch is the starch alone, separated from the bean and dried to a fine white powder. Whisked into cold water and cooked out, it thickens suddenly, turns glossy and pulls away from the pan as one mass, then sets on chilling into a clear springy gel firm enough to slice. It has no flavour of its own at all, and that is the design. The gel carries, and the sauce supplies everything else.
Where it comes from
East Asian, and in this zone a Tibetan import by way of the Chinese noodle tradition. Laphing became street food in Lhasa and travelled with the Tibetan diaspora into Nepal and India, where it is now sold from carts in Kathmandu and Dharamshala.
What it's called
Mung bean starch · green bean starch, as it is often labelled. Botanically from Vigna radiata. It is not the same as mung bean flour, which contains the whole ground bean and will not set.
In the kitchen
Whisk it into cold water until there are no granules, because they will not disperse once the heat is on. Stir constantly over medium heat for five to seven minutes, scraping the base, until it thickens and goes glossy. Pour into an oiled tray, cool, then refrigerate four hours or overnight before slicing into wide flat strips. Season the sauce hard, since the gel brings nothing of its own.
What we know about the claims
Almost pure carbohydrate, with the protein left behind in the separation. Naturally gluten-free. There is nothing else to claim for it and nothing is claimed.
Choosing and buying
Korean and Chinese grocers in the UK, often labelled green bean starch. In the US, H Mart or any Chinese grocery. Check the label carefully: mung bean flour sits next to it on the shelf, looks similar and will not work. Potato starch from any large supermarket gives the softer yellow version of laphing.