Moth bean
Vigna aconitifolia · Legume
Top 10 pairings
The moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), known in India as matki or moth, is a small, drought-hardy legume grown across the arid plains of South Asia. Its tiny, oblong yellow-brown to olive seeds are eaten dried, boiled into curries and dals, sprouted, or milled into flour for snacks such as bhujia.
Picking a good onedrag
Sound dry seed, even and cleanDamp, musty or bored through
Shop stockEveryday bestThe ordinary packet of matki. Soak it, then simmer or pressure-cook until soft right through for dal, usal and misal.
The seedEven colour, the sheen flat, a few chipped seeds
In the handHard and free-running, a little chaff and dust
Smell of the dry grainNearly neutral, a plain dry-store note