The Chinese are very firm believers of certain ingredients providing beneficial or detrimental effects on the body. It meant that when I had ulcers or nose bleeds, I was considered too 'heaty' and that I needed to avoid the foods that were causing them (deep fried items, durian boo hoo hoo) and to eat those that would counteract it. Mung bean is one such ingredient which is seen as an ingredient with cooling properties and a great remedy for days where you might have overindulged on one too many fried chicken or just couldn't resist that one last durian.
I made this soup more as a preventative measure more than a remedy, given the my sons had been playing outside and the day was getting warmer and warmer as it progressed. This is one dish that my eldest, Isaac, isn't too fond of though, so to try and make it a little more appealing to him, I added in coloured potato jelly. Surprisingly, he took to it, and finished the whole bowl with requests for seconds! I'll note that down as a win thanks...
The jelly isn't a traditional aspect of the dish, although if you do have children or fussy adults, it might be worth a shot to add it. It won't significantly alter the flavour of the dish, and you can get some of the nutritional benefits of the mung bean into them!
