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Friday, April 30, 2010

Growing Organic-Sprout-Chaat


Sprouts are healthy and I don’t need to reiterate that. Whenever I want something instant and healthy to satisfy my hunger pangs, I end up making this. I usually have sprouts in my pantry which I like to make in home. Sometimes I also like to add yogurt and boiled potato cubes/corn to make it more filling.
Sprouting green chana is usually a 3 day process for me depending on the temperature and climate. This is a very basic and simple process without any hard labour.However if you compare the end result with the efforts you put in; the result seems to be more fulfilling and beneficiary. Anybody who is trying to get into shape, exercise is must but with proper meal plans. And trust me; nothing is better than this low-calorie high nutritious recipe which comes in with zero efforts.
I usually soak about 1 cup of green chana in ample amount of water in the night, the other day it turn out little bloated but no sprouting. I wash and clean the green china well in water and keep it again covered but with out water this time in a closed vessel. Before going to sleep, I again wash them well in water and cover them. I try to use a vessel large enough so that the sprouts can have plenty of space to germinate and breathe properly. And also a little warm weather is the trick.
The other day it turns like this


Again on second day, I wash them in water well and keep it covered overnight now preferably near my cooking range or oven. On 3rd day it looks like this.


Sprouting is generally a long process but you don’t need to stand over it and watch out for it. Just leave them overnight, covered in any vessel preferably a glass jar or a steel container and they turn out nice while you will be busy doing other day-to-day jobs, they will be taking the process on their own. I think nature can’t be more generous like these. And aren’t you satisfied that you are also growing something organic with zero efforts and minimal cost. Right?
I stock them in refrigerator for 2-3 days and take out in batches and make my sprout chaat fresh daily. Although I end up eating them in 2-3 days but they can be kept fresh in refrigerator for up to a week.
Boiled or cooked sprouts tend to loose some of the vitamins sprouting/germinating green chana has, so I prefer the raw salad or chaat over cooked ones.

Sprout chaat
1 cup of green chana sprouted
1 onion finely cut
Cucumber chopped ½ cup
1 tomato chopped
2 green chillies chopped
1/2 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1-2 tbs of Haldiraam Aloo bhujia

Method
Wash green chana in water.Soak them overnight with ample amount of water and preferably in a large vessel. They will absorb all the water. Now discard the left-over water if any next morning. Now wash again the bloated green chana well in water. Cover it and keep it close to some humid place. I like to place it near my cooking range or oven at night. If you feel, you may go ahead and make the sprout chaat now. However if you keep them another night, they get sufficient time for proper germination.
Now make the sprout chaat, mix all the ingredients, adjust seasoning or use chaat masala if you wish to. Sprinkle some sev or Haldiraam aloo bhujia.Enjoy as your evening snack.

Note-
You may add boiled potato cubes or boiled corn.
You may like to mix in with some whisked yogurt to make it more filling or as side-dish.
Ask your kid to join in to make sprout chaat and explain the sprouting process with such live demonstration, I am sure they will be amazed like my 5 year old daughter.
And aren’t you satisfied that you are also growing something organic with zero efforts and minimal cost. Right?
Happy Cooking

13 comments:

  1. That bowl indeed look so so healthy and delcious, i have nevr had green channa.

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  2. Such a healthy one,and so delicious as well...lovely presentation jaya..

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  3. Jaya, dekhei ki bhishon tempting lagchhe...very healthy indeed and informative read too...take care and have a wonderfull weekend too....

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  4. happy,
    If you can get it from any Asian market, try it you will like the sprout chaat.

    Sushma,
    thanks for coming and your kind words ..

    Kamalika,
    you too have a nice weekend.Thanks for coming by

    hugs and smiles

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  5. thats my favourite Jaya. loved having them in local rains with so much onion and a dash of lime juice. mouth watering. love your presentation too. happy weekend buddy.

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  6. sayantani,
    hain theek bolecho , rain and this chaat with muri ,i dont need anything else..have a nice weekend.
    hugs and smiles

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  7. Hey Jaya
    How are you?
    Chaat looks very healthy and fresh...

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  8. hain eyibaare ektu shomoy peyechhi...latest posts gulo khoob ii bhalo hoyechhe, very interesting writeups and of course yummy food too!! :)

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  9. What a lovely presentation. Is it a cabbage leave?
    And a quick question: on the second day, after washing again the sprout, do you leave some water in the vessel or do you drain all of it? I tried several times to spout methi seeds, but if I keep them with water they start getting bad and if I do not keep water, they dry off :-(
    Thanks for your advices!

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  10. Sayantani,
    rain and this sprout chaat r kicho chai na..hole ek cup garam cha LOL..

    Thanks Jagruti.

    Joyeeta,
    I never emphasized on write-ups , jaag hotath mone hole na recipe er sathe ekto lekha hole bhalo hoye , nahole to readers ra bor hoye jabe :)..

    Sweet antichoke,
    yeah that is cabbage leaf.On second day I usually wash the sprouts well with water and drain all water.I havent tried sprouting with methi seeds though(thats very interesting).May be you can just sprinkle very little water( approx 1-2 tbs )over it and cover it.Usually with green chana or green moong I drain all water.Keep near to the oven or cooking range.Use a big vessel so that they can breathe and grow.Hope it helps.
    hugs and smiles

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  11. Hi Jaya,
    Thanks for the advices.I will try again to prepare these sprouts tonight.
    Methi sprouts are delicious, I had found some in an organic store and I wanted to try myself...

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  12. Jaya, where do you get the green chana from?

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  13. Pree,
    I am not sure where you live , do you have any Indian grocery stores near ..ask them if they have any supply of it or may be you can tell them to get this one variety if possible..Here every Indian stores have them as many people from sub-continent prefer to live in this particular area.
    hugs and smiles

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