What are Sprouts?
Sprouts are the newly germinated seeds or the tender roots of a legume grown following the sprouting process. The sprouting process turns lentils and legumes into living plants with more Vitamin C, B, and carotene. It also helps in the absorption of minerals. Mung Bean Sprouts are the most common culinary sprouts used in Indian Cuisine. They are used to make a variety of Indian curries, salads, snacks, and other dishes. You can add mung bean sprouts to buddha bowls, poke bowls, hearty soups, stir-fry noodles, or wholesome salads.
How To Make Mung Bean Sprouts
Sprouting at home may sound like a complex technique, which requires a lot of precision, but you’ll find it fun and extremely easy once you try it. It’s so much joy seeing your little sprouts come to life and the longer sprouts grow, I feel more proud. To make sprouts at home: Wash Lentil: Clean, rinse and soak the mung beans (green moong dal) in filtered water for at least 6 hours. I usually prefer soaking them overnight (ref images 1 & 2). As you notice in images 3 & 4, the size of the beans increases after absorbing water. Start Sprouting Process: Transfer the soaked lentil to a colander the following day. Let them sit for 15 minutes. This way, all the water is drained out of the legume. Take a clean and dry muslin/cheesecloth or any breathable piece of cloth. Spread the drained mung beans in the muslin cloth, bring the corners together and tie them into a loose knot (ref image 4). Start Sprouting Process: You can keep the cloth with sprouts in a bowl with a lid (ref image 5). Keep the bowl in a dry and dark place, such as an oven or microwave, undisturbed for 24 hours. Each legume takes a different amount of time to sprout. For example, Mung Beans take 2 days, whereas chickpeas 3 – 4 days. During the summer season, mung bean sprouts are ready in 24 hours. Every morning check the legumes for sprouting. If the legumes seem dry, spray them with freshwater to maintain the moisture content. Do not touch the sprouts with dirty hands or a spoon. Instead, use only clean, filtered water to wash or spray the sprouts. Alternatively, instead of using a muslin cloth, you can directly put sprouts in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
How To Store
You can store mung bean sprouts for 3 days in the refrigerator. However, I do not recommend keeping them longer as they have a short shelf life, and spoiled sprouts can easily cause severe stomach infections. How – Line a fridge container with a clean kitchen cloth, preferably cheese or muslin cloth. Arrange the sprouts over the cloth. Close the lid of the container. The kitchen towel will help absorb the excess moisture and increase the shelf life of the sprouts.
Moong Bean Sprout Salad
It is an easy Indian-style, gluten-free, vegan salad that only requires a few pantry staples. Soak Sprouts: Add sprouts to a bowl. Pour hot water over the sprouts. Cover the bowl with a lid. Let sprouts sit in hot water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Allow to cool down. Mung Bean Sprouts have a slightly bitter taste. Vegetables: From fresh tomato and cucumber to green lettuce, carrot, you can add vegetables to the sprout salad. Add pomegranate, parsley, cilantro, or any other fresh herb to make it more colourful. Seasoning: This is an Indian-style sprout salad with the seasoning of salt, red chilli powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and cumin powder. Feel free to experiment with other seasoning flavours, such as oregano, fresh herbs, or spices.
Watch Sprout Salad Video
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