Ma? Corba (Mung Bean Soup)

A savory, spicy and hearty soup, Ma? Corba is truly a unique experience.

I’ll admit that this is the first time that I’ve ever cooked with dried mung beans. I’ve seen them and heard of them before, but I never actually prepared them…until now.

Ma? Corba (pronounced “maah-sh chor-bah”) is a wonderful blend of a classic Turkish soup that doesn’t include yogurt. I love that it includes the beautiful dried peppers and dried tomatoes that are such an essential part of Turkish culture in Gaziantep.

For a cold winter day, nothing beats a hearty soup. Why not try this one out today?

Here’s the recipe:

• 2 cups mung beans
• 1 cup white rice (rinsed & drained)
• 5 small onions (diced)
• 1 long red sweet pepper (diced) (or substitute a small red bell pepper)
• 5 dried tomatoes (rehydrated in water & drained)
• 2 dried sweet red peppers (rehydrated in water & drained)
• 15 dried bird’s eye peppers (rehydrated in water & drained) (optional, if you don’t like spicy food)
• 1 TBSP red pepper flakes
• 2 TBSP dried mint
• 1/4 c dried tarragon (crushed with fingers)
• 3 TBSP butter
• salt & pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

In a large stock pot, boil the mung beans in 1 1/2 to 2 liters of water for 10 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes.

Add the onion and red pepper and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Crush the dried tarragon with your fingers and set aside.

Stir in the rehydrated dried tomatoes, rehydrated sweet red peppers, rehydrated bird’s eye peppers, 1 TBSP dried tarragon and salt & pepper (to taste).

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, adding more water as needed (cup by cup)

In a small frying pan, melt the butter until it’s sizzling. Then fill a ladle with the remaining tarragon and red pepper flakes and hold it over the soup. Pour the butter into the ladle and let the spices and butter fall into the soup! So beautiful. Stir gently!

Serve and enjoy!

 

Afiyet Olsun!

This recipe is from the culinary classes at the Gaziantep Mutfak Sanatlar? E?itim Merkezi. For more information or to take a class, visit their website. 

 

 

 

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