WAIT. ARE THESE ACTUALLY SPROUTS? THEY ARE REALLY GOOD! We were in Kerala shooting some scenes for my upcoming cooking show and my non-Indian - very American photographers were admiring some of the dishes on the buffet. The hotel was a higher end eco-friendly spot in the Indian state of Kerala on the South West Coast, where most of the spices from India are cultivated and exported. It was our first evening meal at the resort after driving through the dark of night to get there from our previous bed and breakfast in Talassery (formerly known as Tellicherry). The night part of the driving we were warned against, but we had no choice as I kept finding things we needed to stop and shoot. Among the food selections on our buffet was a sprouted salad. That's important because it shows how prevalent sprouts truly are in Indian cuisine. So prevalent that they appear as a dish in hotels - and I am talking about high-end hotels. We're not even surprised to encounter sprouts on the menu or buffet line in India. In fact, recently a friend sent me photos from a market in Mumbai of green moong, fenugreek, black chickpea sprouts in large burlap bags for sale. Some of us with Indian roots in the US have forgotten about this healthy-eating trick that our grandmothers insisted upon. I'm encouraging us to get back at it. Sprouts are not only filled with enzymes and minerals, they actually help you fill up on the good stuff so you crave the other stuff less. It's been a part of my morning routine for years. This salad recipe is one of my older daughter's favorites. She can eat an entire bowl. It's so delicious that she doesn't even realize half the time how healthy it is. If you want to learn how to sprout at home, click here.
Salad: Fresh Fenugreek Sprouted Salad
3 cups fenugreek sprouts (moong and kala chana sprouts will also work)
3/4 cup minced yellow or red onion
1 - 5 Thai chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoon kala namak, black salt
Place all the ingredients in the order listed above in a deep bowl and carefully stir until everything comes together. Eat immediately or place in the fridge in a glass or metal bowl until ready to eat. This will last about 2 weeks. Sprouts are food that is still growing. Avoid storing them in plastic, which can leech, if you can. Add any other ingredients you may like including diced or grated cucumber, tomato, or grated carrots and daikon.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
