In the hot summer months of India this is a very refreshing salad to eat.
Vegetable sellers offer sprouted Moong and the sprouted chick pea (kala chana, not the bigger white ones). However, I like to make the sprouts at home. Chick peas come in many varieties. The big white ones used to make Chole and Hummus are also chick peas. They may be called Garbanzo or Kabuli chana too. Then there are the smaller ones, which can be light brown to green to dark brown. I have used the smaller dark brown chick peas.
HOW TO MAKE SPROUTS AT HOME
It is very easy to make the sprouts at home.(
Take about 1/2 cup of the green moong dal. Take 1/2 cup of the dark brown chick peas (kala chana). After sprouting the quantity usually doubles.
Put them in separate bowls. Wash each one well so that all the dust is removed. Add 1 cup full of water to each bowl. Let the seeds soak for at least 6 to 8 hours. I usually soak in the evening and leave it overnight.
Next day it will be swollen now wash again thoroughly .
Take two pieces of cheese cloth or cotton napkins
Place the Moong in one cloth. Put the Chick peas in the other cloth. Make a loose bundle with each cloth and tie the top of the cloth bundles. You use a rubber band to close it too.
Place the bundles back in their bowls and leave them in a place with less light for another day.
The next day open the bundles. You will find the moong has sprouted well, but the chick pea has very small roots. You can use them at this stage or wait another day to let the roots grow longer. If you are in a hot dry place, sprinkle some water on the bundles. Do this if you keep them for another day.
Before you use the sprouts wash them again well and very gently so that the roots don’t break.
After washing, spread them out on a plate. Remove and discard all the seeds that haven’t sprouted and are hard.
Now we are ready to use the sprouts in the salad.
INGREDIENTS
- Sprouted Moong – 1/2 cup
- Sprouted chick peas – 1/4 cup
- Onions peeled and chopped small -1/4 cups
- Tomatoes diced small -1/2 cup
- Cucumber peeled and diced small – 1/2 cup
- Coriander leaves chopped (dhania) – 2 or 3 tablespoons full
- Green chilies chopped – 1 or 2
- Mint leaves a few to garnish
For the dressing
Lemon or Lime juice -2 Tablespoon
Salt – 1/2 teaspoon or according to taste.
Sugar – a pinch
METHOD
- Add all the vegetables and sprouts in a glass serving bowl
- Mix well
- Add the lemon juice, salt and sugar to the salad and mix well.
- Cover and store in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving.
- Garnish with Mint leaves before serving.
- TIP: If you are going to serve the salad after more than an hour, wait before adding the salt. Add it only half an hour before serving. Otherwise, the vegetables will become limp. Taste to adjust seasoning before serving.