Whole urad or muth beans are the traditional favorites, but you can also use sprouted chickpeas, aduki or mung beans in this dish. Sprouted beans are bursting with nutrition because they are a living, growing food. When left raw, their flavor may be unpalatable to the newcomer. In this dish, however, flavor is obtained without sacrificing the nutritive value of the sprouts. First, a combination of sweet and savory spices is dry-roasted along with shredded coconut and sesame. When toasted and golden, the seasonings are powdered and blended with yogurt to make a smooth sauce. The sauce is then chaunked with spices fried in ghee , and finally the sprouts are added and cooked for only a short time, thus preserving their nutritional value. The result is a light, easy-to-digest breakfast dish, or a superb companion to a salad at lunch.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5–10 minutes
Serves: 5 or 6
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) coriander seeds
• 6 black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) sesame seeds
• 8 whole cloves
• ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly packed
• ⅔ cup (160 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream
• 3–4 tablespoons (45–60 ml) ghee or vegetable oil
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) scraped, finely shredded or minced fresh ginger root
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) minced hot green chili (or as desired)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black mustard seeds
• 12 small fresh or dried curry leaves, if available
• 1 cup (195 g) whole urad beans, muth beans, mung beans, or chickpeas, sorted, washed and sprouted until ⅓ inch (1 cm) long ( page 44 ) (about 2½–3 cups/600–710 ml sprouted)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar or equivalent sweetener
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coarsely chopped fresh coriander or minced parsley
1 . Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, sesame seeds and cloves in a heavy frying pan over moderately low heat. Dry-roast for about 5 minutes. Add the coconut and, stirring frequently, dry-roast it until golden brown. Transfer the roasted ingredients to a blender and blend on high speed until reduced to a powder. Add the yogurt or sour cream and blend on moderately high speed for about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl.
2. Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan over moderate to moderately high heat. When it is hot, drop in the ginger root, green chili and black mustard seeds. Fry until the mustard seeds turn gray and sputter and pop. Add the curry leaves and immediately pour in the yogurt seasoning. Fry, uncovered, until half of the liquid has cooked away.
3. Stir in the sprouts, salt and sweetener. Cover and reduce the heat to moderately low and cook until the sprouted beans are warmed through and slightly softened. How long you cook them is up to you, anywhere from 3 minutes (crunchy) to 10 minutes (tender-crisp).
4. Pour onto a small serving platter or individual plates and sprinkle with lemon juice and chopped herb .
