Sprout your way to health
They are no more the boring food item that mom stuffed in your tiffin box only to be emptied in a trash bin the moment you reached school. Healthy, delicious and flavoured with exotic dressings, sprouts have come a long way to become the new ‘it’ snack.
They are no more the boring food item that mom stuffed in your tiffin box only to be emptied in a trash bin the moment you reached school. Healthy, delicious and flavoured with exotic dressings, sprouts have come a long way to become the new ‘it’ snack.
Sprouts now feature on the breakfast menus of restaurants as well. Chef S M Malhotra of Omnia restaurant says, “Guests often skip their meal to go for a large portion of sprout salad.” Sprouts are not just limited to salads. “There are desserts such as sprout tarts that come filled with honeyed sprouts,” adds the chef.
Even nutritionists say that sprouts have become very popular. Nutritionist Dr Simran Saini says, “Sprouts are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and fibre. They are quite popular with youngsters of late.”
While moong bean sprouts are common in Asian food, people don’t realise that grains such as rice and wheat also can be sprouted. At most grocery stores in Delhi like Morning Stores, Nature’s Basket, More, and Big Apple you would find sprouted versions of lentils, grams and granola. Sprouted food often tastes different. Sprouted brown rice can have a softer texture. Sprouted bagels and English muffins tend to be denser and chewier. Sprouting breaks down carbohydrates and other compounds, thereby easing digestion.
-With inputs from Shara Ashraf
Honey sprouts salad
Ingredients
Chick pea sprouts - 1.5 cup
Green lentil sprouts - 1 cup
Fenugreek sprouts -1 tbsp
Fresh tofu diced - 1.5 cup
Lettuce - small bunch
The dressing
Honey - 1 tbsp,
sesame oil - 1 tsp,
rice vinegar - 1 tbsp,
olive oil - 1 tbsp,
salt to taste
Honey chilli toast
Bread slice -1, honey - 1 tbsp,
chilli flakes - a pinch, chopped garlic - 1 tbsp
METHOD
1.Hand pluck lettuce into small pieces.
2.Prepare dressing by mixing all ingredients, keep chilled.
3. Toast bread on both sides in a salamander. Apply honey and chopped garlic, sprinkle chilli flakes and then put again in salamander until crisp. Keep aside hot.
4.Mix sprouts, lettuce and fresh tofu.
5.Gently mix with dressing.
6.Serve chilled with hot honey chilli crispy toast.
Courtesy: Chef Inder Dev, Fortune Select Excalibur
