To toast mung beans: Add split mung beans in a dry frying pan and cook (while tossing and stirring continuously) until brown and toasted. Set aside.
Place rice in a lidded pot (preferably nonstick). Wash 2x until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain well and add 2 ½ cups of water and stir in the toasted mung beans. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, stir well, replace the lid and simmer on the lowest setting for 15 minutes.
In a large nonstick pan, add the coconut milk, sugar and salt. Stir and cook on medium heat until boiling. Then, add the cooked rice. Lower the heat (medium-low) and continue stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and rice pulls away from the sides of the pan. This will take between 10-15 minutes depending on how soft you want your rice. Mung beans will be fully cooked but still intact.
Transfer to a serving dish. Enjoy!
Notes
*I used ½ cup split mung beans. If you prefer less, use ⅓ cup instead. If you can’t find split mung beans, toast whole beans and crack with a mallet (in batches) to split them in half.**Mung bean is an excellent source of plant-based protein.