Mung Beansprouts

Within three days you can sprout mung beans with 115 g / 4 oz of beans producing 450 g/ 1 lb of succulent white shoots for cooking or to eat in a salad.

Pick over the beans and discard any that look decrepit. Rinse, put in a bowl, pour over 1.1 litres/ 2 pints of tepid water and leave 8 hours or overnight.

Punch a plastic bag full of holes, drain the beans, rinse again with warm water and put them in it. Don’t tie the bag shut, but wrap it loosely in a damp drying-up cloth, put in a colander and put it in a warm cupboard (not an airing cupboard which is usually too hot).