"Joey Beans"

Ingredients:
Water                                                                          1 gallon distilled always works for me
Mung Beans or Toor Dal Beans                                 1 quart of either Mung or Toor Dal
Oil                                                                               I pour by eye, but 2 tablespoons should work.
Salt                                                                              2-3 tablespoons is usually enough.
 
Seasonings:
This recipe gets a separate section for seasonings because that is what makes this recipe stand out: my awesome seasoning combination! I’m going to use ratios because I actually make every pot by eye. That is to say, I do not measure exactly how much I put in. I season each pot differently. But that’s just me. When I give a seasoning a number, it means whether you are using teaspoons, tablespoons, you should put about that number of them in there (I recommend tablespoons or sets of 2 tablespoons). I have tried this myself and it works.
 
Organic No-Salt Seasoning :                           
This is actually a mix of a bunch of different herbs and spices that you can find at Costco. This is the only thing I don’t like about my recipe only because I did not pick the seasonings. Nevertheless, this mix plus my combination of spices will make just about any bean taste really good. Too much will make any pot-o-beans taste bitter. You need about 3 to 4 ratio on this.
 
Smoked Paprika: This adds to the savory flavor. Too much of this will make the whole pot bitter. You only need a ratio of about 3 Tablespoons.
 
Cumin: This adds a kind of strength to the beans. It gives the flavor some depth and direction. Too much of this will do strange things to the beans. You need a ratio of about 3 Tablespoons on this one.
 
Turmeric: This gives the beans a wonderful kick, but just a little bit, too much may get you complaints from those with more sensitive tongues. It doesn’t really make it bitter, but it does influence the taste of the whole pot.  You only need a ratio of about 1 Tablespoon or 2 Tablespoons.
 
Pepper: I’ve cooked many pots without this, but it really does add a type of uniqueness to the     pot and can be used to add a little extra spiciness. You need a ratio of about 1 Tablespoon to start. More pepper means hotter beans.
 
Garlic: This can be fresh or powdered. This seasoning is just really great. It adds that extra oomph beans need to be spectacular. However, too much will make any pot of beans a sad memory. You need a ratio of 2 to 3 Tablespoons on this one. It’s a little tricky.
 
Salt: This is what makes the beans tastes like something. So I’m a little generous when cooking pot-o-beans. I have a little wooden scooper which makes it easier. And I use gray coarse-ground Celtic salt. I use the coarse salt when making beans since it has more time to dissolve. I’m going to give this a ratio of 3 to 4 Tablespoons. But salt in any recipe is really to taste. If your beans taste weak, they probably need just a little more salt, JUST A LITTLE!
  
Process:
First, you put the distilled gallon of water in a pot and put that on an eye. If you like vegetables in your beans now would be the time to add them. (Keep the heat on medium to medium high). Rinse off the beans and pour them in the pot. Make sure there are no rocks or sand or bugs or random iota of bean debris. Next, you pour in the oil. Then you add the seasonings and give it a stir. Not anything fancy, just mix it around until the water is red and the various seasonings are jumbled throughout. For the more precise people, mix for about one minute. Next you put the top on. After that, you set a timer for 1 hour. (For mung, I would check them after 45 minutes) Then you just let them cook. When the timer is up, all you have to do is taste check for weakness at which point you would add salt. But most of the time, this will get you a grand pot of beans with a slight gravy. And the great thing about the seasoning mix is that it works for most beans. I’ve cooked kidney beans, great northern, black beans, lima beans (best with corn and honey), adzuki beans (best cooked alone), pinto beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, various lentils and peas and bean mixes (DISCLAIMER: different beans take different times to cook). Now I don’t soak my beans. Mainly because I’m a teenager and short on time, but if you do, it will remove the extra gas these beans may cause. But usually Toor Dal does pretty well with most people’s systems WHEN THEY ARE FULLY COOKED. That means they should be soft all the way through or else they will attack your gut. Beans will usually last in the fridge for about a week, but they can last for almost 2 weeks. I would be wary after 2 weeks. When you don’t soak them, after sitting in the fridge for too long they begin to smell like beans.
 
Hint: To add most types of rice add 2 to cups of water when pouring in the water and one cup of rice when you add the beans. Be sure to rinse the rice first. But be careful, too much rice can cause your beans to cook wrong due to lack of water. However, lentils and mung usually play nice with rice.
 
Recipe by Joseph Dixon Jr.

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