Boiled Moong Sprouts Salad

I am a big fan of sprouts and all other forms of lentil-based breakfast options. You will often see me cook and create options like Handvo, Pesarattu/Moong Dal Cheelas, Besan Khaman Dhokla, and so on. I love sprouting my lentils a day in advance and create amazing healthy and nutritious salads with them. And trust me, there are so many variations you can add that the number of combinations is endless. I try to eat 1-2 raw breakfasts every week and sprouts are my most preferred option there. But I also love boiled sprouts, my husband hates raw sprouts so I make this version especially for him. This is my most favorite Boiled Moong Sprouts Salad version, hope you like it.

Whole grain sprouts are an excellent form of breakfast for people watching their weight, people with diabetics, and even for people who exercise regularly as these are high in proteins and really low on carbs and calories.

VARIATIONS:

1. Lentils: I have used only Whole Moong Dal sprouts here but you can totally add Red Lobia Beans, Whole Masoor Dal, Moth, etc. to it. All these lentils have a similar cooking time so it’s better to use them together. You can alternatively create combinations of black grams (Kale Chane) with Chickpeas (Chole) and Red Kidney Beans (Rajma) which taste wonderful together. I also love adding 1-2 tablespoons Methi or Fenugreek seeds for their highly nutritious nature and it controls sugar levels.
2. Vegetables and Fruits: I love adding onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice and coriander to my salad. Sometimes, I also add carrot, cabbage, broccoli, and capsicum. You could also add pomegranates, apples, or any other fruit of choice.

PREPARATION TIME: 1 day
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
SERVINGS: 2
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Low

INGREDIENTS:   

1. Whole Moong Dal – 1 cup
2. Fenugreek seeds – 2 tablespoons
3. Onion – 1, small
4. Green Chilli – 1
5. Tomato – 1
6. Cucumber – 1, small
7. Corriander Leaves – a few springs
8. Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
9. Chaat Masala – 1 teaspoon, optional
10. Oil – 1 tablespoon
11. Cumin Seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
12. Salt – to taste

UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT:

1. Sprout Maker
2. Kadhai

RECIPE:

1. Wash the Moong Dal and Fenugreek seeds and soak them in enough water (twice as much) for 5-6 hours.
2. Then place them in a sprout maker if you have one but I avoid plastic and I use an old scarf for it. Put them in a cloth/scarf and hang them from your kitchen tap. Splash some water every 3-4 hours to keep them moist. Moong dal sprouts in about 6-8 hours, chickpea and black gram need about 12 hours or so.
3. When you are ready, add a little oil in a kadhai and place it on medium heat. Add cumin seeds once the oil is hot and allow them to splatter.
4. Now add a slit green chilli and thin long slices of a small onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts caramelizing.
5. Mix the Moong and Fenugreek seed sprouts and add salt and 1 cup of water.
6. Cover with a lid for 12-15 minutes and let them cook on medium heat.
7. Remove the lid and check if the Moong dal is cooked properly. I don’t like it too mushy, but you can choose how soft you want it to be.
8. Turn the heat slightly to remove all the moisture if there is any left, keep stirring so that the dal doesn’t burn.
9. Once the Moong dal is cooked, add finely chopped tomato and cucumber slices and juice of half a lemon.
10. Sprinkle some chaat masala and adjust it to your taste and serve.

Boiled Moong Sprouts Salad is ready! Enjoy it for breakfast or as a tea time snack.