'Sprouts' like never before
Discover germinated vegetables and grains making way on a healthy menu
Off the shelf
Sprouts are sprouting a whole new line. It's not just germinated pulses, but grain and vegetable sprouts are claiming imagination and supermarket shelves to add colour to your summer salads.
Some organic produce providers have been making available broccoli sprouts. Samar Gupta of Trikaya Agriculture, who also supplies broccoli sprouts to supermarkets like Godrej Nature's basket, says, "Broccoli sprouts look like alphalpha sprouts."
Some of the other interesting sprouts he supplies include brussel sprouts. They look like miniature cabbages and are extremely adorable. But don't even mistakenly pop them in your mouth raw. "It's quite pungent in taste," warns Gupta.
If you want to add brussel sprouts to your salads, make sure you stir-fry them first, suggests food consultant Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal.
Make your own
Cereals also make for great sprouts for your salad. If you like a nutty flavour, try sprouting sesame, suggests Rushina. "They are crunchy and slightly sweet and remind of soaked almonds," she says. To srpout sesame seeds (with husks), soak them in water in a shallow. Once they swell, drain the water and dry well by rubbing gently with a kitchen paper. Then transfer sesame seeds on a dry sheet of kitchen paper and place it in an airtight container. Spread out thinly, close tightly and leave for a few hours. Then put in the fridge overnight. It will have sprouted the next morning.
You can even sprout sunflower seeds, suggests Danesh Madon, who owns Eaternal, a producer and exporter of organic foods.
Other cereals that you can sprout include oats, wheat, maize (corn), rice, barley, rye and buckwheat. However, please make note: you can't sprout processed or polished cereals," warns Chef Vernon Coelho.
How to sprout
Wash well and soak the cereal of your choice in clean water for some hours. Then transfer the cereal into a muslin cloth, tie it up and place it in the fridge. Chef Coelho says it's important to place the muslin cloth in the refrigerator, as, "The malting process is known to be ideal for bacteria growth at room temperature, especially in summers." he cautions.
Cereals take slightly more time to sprout than pulses, so you may check the muslin cloth from time to time. "Every time you open the muslin cloth, slightly shake the cereals, and sprinkle some water if it feels dry," he advises.
Cooking with sprouted cereals
The options are limitless. Chef Ceolho suggests pureeing the germinated grains, and using it as a batter for pancakes/ dosas. These purees make for great dips too. Just drizzle some olive oil and add a hint of green chillies, mint and lime.
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