How to make sprouts at home

Most of you would guffaw at the title – “How to make sprouts?”  Who would want to know? In fact, who wouldn’t know? What’s there to make?  Doesn’t it grow all by itself, when left alone? 

Well, even I thought so before I met this fellow buyer at the super market. I have been seeing old ladies selling varieties of sprouts on various pavements in Mumbai ever since I landed in this maximum city 11 years back. And I always thought people especially working women picked them on their way back home probably because they couldn’t manage to plan ahead for the evening’s dinner and these ready sprouts acted as the knight savior.

Well, as it turns out, that’s not always the case. There are people who think that making sprouts need a special gadget called “The Sprout Maker”.

Now it so happened that this pretty lady, whose name I wanted to ask, but could not, was checking out all the varieties of packed sprout pouches, holding them close to her eyes, taking them farthest her extended hands were capable of, trying to smell them through the plastic cover and finally decided that I was a better judge. Probably she was impressed by the speed at which I grabbed the veggies and shoved them into the trolley…she had in all probabilities mistaken my rush to be my expertise in spotting the best vegetables on the shelf.

“Do you think these are good? They are not yesterday’s no?”  Honestly, I was the last person to answer that. Why even Hubby was a better judge for this kind of stuff. But I couldn’t tell her that. Atleast not now. When I am blogging about how to cook I should be knowing how to choose my ingredients too! Moreover that’s easy, who doesn’t know that fresh things are always better than packed ones!

“Difficult to say, I have never bought these” I answered honestly “But why do buy these; you can make them at home, no?”

The beautiful eyebrows made 2 gorgeous contours which translated into surprise.

“But wasn’t it is cheaper to buy them than to invest in another gadget?” Her kitchen is already over flowing with them, she complains.

Now it was my turn to be surprised.

“What gadget?” I ask.

It was then that the pretty lady in blue told me that she is buying ready made sprouts for months now, since her gym dietician has put her on a sprouts diet. The gym had also offered her a designer “Sprout Maker” which cost Rs. 5999 after a hefty discount, but she had figured out that buying her sprouts from the mart would be cheaper, and would also spare her of one more gadget. Her house was anyways filled with scores of them, some to ward of evil spirits and some more to invite good ones.  God Bless Her!

It was then that the knowledge dawned upon me that there are still naïve souls in this part of  the world who think sprouts can be made only with a gadget. I quickly explained how she can get her sprouts at home daily without any extra gadget or any extra cost. Only thing she would need to spare was a prior notice of 24 hrs !

Ingredients:

Any whole seed that you want to sprout – Moong, alfalfa, Bengal gram, white/green peas, chick peas, moth, practically - you can try any seed !

How to:

Step 1: Wash the seeds

Step 2: Soak them in 3 times water

Step 3: After 8 hrs, drain the excess water, cover and let it stay

Step 4: Sprouts are ready after 12-16 hrs. Consume/cook immediately or refrigerate. DONE !

Note: The shoot will keep growing with time, not to worry. Just take out a handful whenever you want and enjoy a light, tasty and healthy snack anytime ! However do consume the refrigerated sprout within 7 days :)

Moong ka cheela

This post has been updated with new pics.

As I write this piece, I remember Dipti, from whom I’d learnt this instant snack recipe. She’d been very kind to teach me and also take the efforts of cooking it in front of me, so that I don’t forget. That was way back when there was no blogs and hence no interest on recipes and cooking on my part. However I still remember how I had marveled at the simplicity of the preparation (I always though cooking was a gruesome chore, but it was THEN, not NOW). I still make it – sometimes for S’s tiffin and sometimes…just for myself. D doesn’t like it, so I never make it when he’s around…not that he’ll mind my making something for myself, but who will prepare 2 different breakfasts for 2-1/2 people ?

Moong ka cheela

Ingredients:

Green whole moong sprouts     : 1 cupful

Rice soaked overnight              : 2 tbsp

Ginger                                      : ½ inch sq piece

Garlic                                       : 1 fat clove

Green chilly                             : 1 whole

Salt                                           : ¼ tsp

Sugar (only if you are a bong) : ½ a spoonful or to taste

How to:

Step 1: Make a batter with all the above ingredients in a mixer. If required, add a little water, but the batter should be viscous with non-flowing consistency.

Step 2: heat a non-stick pan with 2-3 drops of oil rubbed in with a brinjal crown, or any flat surface.

Step 3 put a ladle full of the batter and spread it with the back of a spoon/katori as you would do for a dosa. If you want, you can flip it carefully, and brown the other side too – I do not. Just sprinkle 2-3 drops of oil before flipping.

Your north Indian breakfast is ready to be had with a little tomato sauce or coconut chutney. It goes well with both. I usually accompany it with a cup of tea.


Pictorial

P.S. You can make it thick and soft, or thin and crispy by regulating the quantity of the batter. A large ladle full will give a soft thick cheela, and  a spoonful will give you thin and crusty cheela, almost like a green dosa :) I prefer the thin ones with a cup of tea....filling, immensely satisfying for the tastebuds, full of protein and only 30 calories each !

Moong Toast

This is another form of the moong ka chila I posted earlier. Hubby D who doesn’t eat the cheela, surprisingly relishes this toast. This preparation is as simple as the cheela…but tastes and feels different, otherwise, how someone who doesn’t eat cheela would eat this…I haved reasoned to myself.

Prepare the batter just as you would prepare for the cheela. I usually make this preparation  if I have a very small quantity of batter left, probably after making cheelas the previous day J. Smear a spoonful on both sides of a bread. Shallow fry on a tawa, with very little oil. Done ! It’s that simple J

For those of you who haven’t yet gone through the moong ka cheela post, here’s how you make the batter.

Ingredients:

Green whole moong sprouts     : 1 cupful

Rice soaked overnight (optional) : 2 tbsp

Ginger                                      : ½ inch sq piece

Garlic                                       : 1 fat clove

Green chilly                             : 1 whole

Salt                                           : ¼ tsp or to taste

Sugar (only if you are a bong) : ½ a spoonful or to taste

How to:

Step 1: Make a batter with all the above ingredients in a mixer. If required, add a little water, but the batter should be viscous with non-flowing consistency. I have tried both with and without the rice, and trust me, there is no difference at all in case of the toast, although it does in case of the chila. The rice makes the cheela crispier.

Step 2: heat a non-stick pan with half a spoonful of oil.

Step 3. Take a spoonful of the batter and smear on both sides of the toast. When one side is browned (takes about 2 mins in low flame) flip over and brown the other side too.

Serve with coconut chutney / tomato sauce of your choice. A cup of tea alongside makes a great combo for a rainy evening like today’s.

Beauty of the dish:

1. If you always have sprouts in the refrigerator like I do, 8 slices of this can be prepared in 5 minutes flat. Ideal for guest arrivals without prior notice.
2. Presence of sprouts and very little oil lends it a healthy angle. Substituting white bread with brown/multigrain ones can add to the health quotient.