If you are looking at tricks to shed that extra weight that you have gained during the festivities, fret not, as the solution lies in simple sprouts. The main reason sprouts make for a great post-festive ingredient is that they are high in nutrition and great for digestion. It’s essentially about getting as many benefits out of a plant in the most concentrated form. When you sprout grains, you increase proteolytic enzymes that make both carbohydrates and proteins digestible.
While your body produces proteolytic enzymes when you eat food that doesn’t contain digestive enzymes, your body is forced to manufacture them. After a while, your body’s ability to produce the right enzymes wanes along with its ability to fight off diseases. The enzymes from sprouts can easily replace these. So once your digestive system gains strength, you automatically start losing that extra weight.
Sprouts are also an excellent source of fiber, manganese, riboflavin and copper, along with smaller but significant amounts of protein, thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Here are some interesting recipes that can help you embrace this rich ingredient easily.
Sprouts Dhokla
Ingredients
1 cup moong sprouts, coarsely ground
½ cup spinach
¼ cup grated carrot
1 tsp ginger and green chilli paste
2 tbsp Bengal gram flour (besan)
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi)
¼ tsp baking soda
l1 tsp oil
For the tempering
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp split black lentils (urad dal)
1 tsp mustard (rai) seeds
1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
A few curry leaves
2 garlic pods, crushed
Method
In a bowl, mix together the coarsely ground moong sprouts, carrot, spinach, ginger-green chilli paste, besan, asafoetida, salt, fruit salt/baking soda and turmeric.
Mix everything together to make a coarse mixture.
Grease a flat plate generously with oil. This is necessary to prevent the dhokla from sticking.
Place the moong dal mixture on the plate and spread it evenly.
Steam it in a steamer or a pressure cooker (without the whistle) for 12 to 15 minutes or until the dhokla is cooked.
Heat the oil and add all the ingredients for the tempering one by one. Cook for a few seconds then pour this tempering over the cooked dhokla.
Cut the dhokla into pieces and serve it with chutney.
Low Cal Bhel Puri
Ingredients
100 gm puffed rice
20gm onion chopped
15gm tomato chopped
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
2 tbsp mint chutney
10 gm pomegranate seeds
½ tsp chaat masala
3 green chilies
Salt to taste
100 gm mix sproutsfor garnishing
Sev
Coriander leaves
Method
Put the puffed rice in a bowl; add onions, sprouts, green chillies, coriander leaves, tamarind pulp, mint chutney, chaat masala and pomegranate seeds. Mix it well.
Garnish with sev and coriander leaves. Serve.
Sprouts kadhi
Ingredients
1 cup moong sprouts
¼ cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
1 cup slightly sour yogurt
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 green chilli, slit
1 tbsp jaggery (gur)
A pinch of turmeric (haldi)
Salt to taste
For tempering
½ tsp mustard (rai) seeds
1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
½ tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 dried red chilli, broken
A few curry leaves
Water as required
Method
Boil moong sprouts in water for about five to eight minutes. Strain and keep aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk besan and yoghurt, ensuring that no lumps remain.
Add two cups of water and mix well.
Add the ginger, green chilli, turmeric, jaggery and salt to taste. Mix well.
Heat a kadhai, pour this mixture and cook it on a medium flame, stirring it continuously until it thickens.
Add moong and cook for another three to four minutes.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. When the seeds begin to change colour, add the broken red chilli. Add this tempering to the kadhi.
Serve the sprouts kadhi hot with rice.
