Ingredient Ideology | Sprouts: A bowl of Goodness & Health! BY: Dr. Kaviraj Khialani- celebrity master chef

It’s always good to have a varied choice of ingredients on our plate be it the fresh pick of the day or a simple meal keeping in mind the nutrient balance and colors to get appeased by and prepare the palate to a treat!

Sprouts are one of my all-time favorite choices to work with be it a breakfast or an evening snack or even a quick toss salad in minutes, it has always been a value-added pop in since it has a bunch of beneficial qualities that can help us to stay fit and be healthy.

I often came across guests who loved sprouts in various forms and would love one of your meals per day to include a good handful of them at their best ideally not to be cooked too much. Having tried a number of legumes and pulses in their sprouted form not only added a bit of spark into the new format of the dishes but also offered a single new variety per day to add into the recipes and present something better than the previous day.

For most of us, sprouts start from the green moong sprouts to the long Chinese version of the sprouts ones which go well into spring rolls, stir-fries & noodles.

Health Benefits of Sprouts:

To list a basic variety of sprouts from the moong, alfalfa, lentil sprouts, kidney bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, wheat sprouts to the black-eyed bean sprouts and the like there is a whole lot of variety available.

Sprouts are rich in folate, a good choice for pregnant women.

They also prevent constipation and keeps the track clear.

They are rich in fiber, vitamins like A, C, K making them a great source of nutrients

Sprouts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, iron & calcium.

It is a rich source of enzymes and essentials for good health.

Sprouts also assist a lot in weight loss management, helps lower cholesterol.

Is a good immunity-boosting ingredient, low in fat.

It is also beneficial for our eyes, skin & bones, they not only increase the blood circulation but also prevents thickening of the blood.

Culinary Uses of Sprouts:

• Most of us love sprouting our own varieties and it’s fun to wait and see them germinate and grow in the muslin cloth and looking at them all set to be eaten is a great feel by itself.

• Chickpeas, red lentils like orange masoor, usal & the varieties are quite popular with us in Indian cooking as well.

• Sprouts can add well into soups, ideally the clear ones.

• Toss them up in a combination fashion in a light lemon, honey, ginger dressing & few bits of fresh fruits, tomatoes, etc on a bed of crispy lettuce is good to go.

• Some like it steamed a little as well with some add-on flavors like fresh basil, nuts, a few spices, sauces, etc.

• They are a good option to add into various stir fry recipes from the Chinese, to the Malaysian stir fry, the Mongolian hot pot also includes a good crunch from the sprouts.

• I also like to add them into a Buddha bowl, the Burmese Khow-Suey, and also into Thai curries as they just give me that perfect touch of crunch in them.

• Sprouts in a simple egg fried rice with spring onion greens taste good too.

• Sprouted choice of ingredients with cream cheese in mini cocktail samosas, veg cigars, stuffing for parathas, etc.

• Sprouts in a raita format with crushed peanuts and mint leaf with a touch of roasted crushed jeera are just awesome.

• Add a few sprouts to a coconut-based Indian style curry and have it with steamed white rice, it’s amazing.

• Sprouts with fresh methi in a pulao or a steamed rice preparation with tomato rice tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds are simply awesome to have with a bowl of rasam.

Here are a couple of my recipes for our readers to try out and enjoy the spirit of sprouts!

Recipe -

1] Fruity Sprouts Salad

Ingredients

• Green moong sprouts/ or any of your choice- 2 cups,

• washed and steamed for 2 to 3 mins- optional.

• For the base of the salad:

• Assorted lettuce leaves- 2 cups

• For the body of the salad:

• Assorted sprouts- 2 cups

• Green/black grapes- ½ cup sliced

• Mint leaves- 10-12 nos

• Apple- ½ no, cubed

• Cucumber- ½ cubed

• Tomato-1/2 no, cubed

• For the dressing:

• Lime juice- 2 tbsp

• Black salt/ pink salt- 1/2 tsp

• Orange segments- ½ cup

• Olive oil-1 tbsp

• Honey- 1 tbsp

• Flaxseeds/ chia seeds/ pumpkin seeds- 1 tsp of your choice

• Black/green olives- 2 to 3 no for garnish

Method:

1. prepare all the ingredients for the salad.

2. in a salad bowl, combine together the sprouts with the other parts of the body of the salad.

3. add in the ingredients for the dressing and toss well.

4. prepare a bed of crispy lettuce leaves and portion it out.

5. add seeds/leaves or garnish as per choice and serve.

Chefs variations: for non-veg- can try boiled cubed eggs, sliced chicken sausages, ham, or salami.

Also try adding saute prawns, lobster, or crab meat as well in a salad with sprouts for a nice texture and crunch.

Also, try using a little garlic and ginger/ lemongrass/ basil and other fresh herbs as a part of the dressing.

Recipe-2 :

QUICK TOSS SPROUTS WITH PEPPERS

Ingredients

• Sprouts- 2 cups, assorted/ of your choice.

• Olive oil- 2 tbsp

• Garlic-1 tsp chopped

• Lemongrass- 3 to 4 pieces

• Red/green/yellow bell peppers- ½ each, cut into thin slices

• Shallots- 4 to 5 nos, peeled and cut into quarters.

• Broccoli- 4 to 5 florets- blanched

• Yellow zucchini- ½ cup, cubes

• Salt and pepper to taste

• White vinegar-1 tsp

• Soy sauce- 1 tsp

• Red chili sauce- 1 tsp

• Mixed herbs- 1 tsp

• Roasted crushed peanuts- 2 tbsp

• Spring onion greens- 2 tbsp garnish.

Method :

1. prepare all the ingredients for the tossed recipe.

2. heat oil in a pan, add in the shallots, onions and cook for 20 seconds, add in the veggies, sprouts and seasonings, sauces and toss well.

3. cook on a medium-high flame for 3 to 4 mins.

4. add in the peanuts and spring onion greens and serve hot.

Chefs variations:

Try adding sliced boiled chicken into the toss recipe.

Prawns, fish, assorted seafood also works well.

Marinated tofu or paneer can be a good choice too.

Try adding a little brown sugar and a little schezuan sauce to the same dish.

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Brief About The Writer:

Dr. Kaviraj Khialani- Celebrity Master Chef, is a Mumbai based Author, Writer, Healthy Eating - Lifestyle Specialist, Food Designer, Academician & having mastered over 33 International Cuisines, is also a Food & Beverage Consultant. He has worked with esteemed properties like the Taj Group of Hotels, Kuwait Airways to name a few, he has been awarded several Global and National Awards for his outstanding performance in his chosen field he loves to share his knowledge and experience of over 2 decades with the Food & Hospitality Industry.