Moong sprouts/Pesarattu

Bean sprouts of any kind are healthy and nutritious food . Sprouts like Alfaalfa, broccoli and bean are available in the supermarkets. Ready to be used in salads ,sandwiches and stir fries .  Moong sprouts are the most commonly used sprouts in Indian cooking. I've mostly eaten them raw in salads or cooked in sundal. (Of course my mom's recipes)  They are actually very versatile and can even be used in soups and sabzis too.
   Let me share with you a couple of recipes I tried and liked.
Note- cannot make sprouts out of yellow moong....Its already processed:-)




Method of making moong sprouts.                                         

  SoakGreen Moong Dal  in water for about 3-4 hrs. Remove water and tie tightly it in a wet towel/cloth. If the room temperature is high the bundle must be kept in the refrigerator. It takes about 2 days to germinate. The sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for almost about a week in airtight container.
    Tossed with cucumber, onion , tomatoes, cilantro with salt and lemon juice dressing , makes a wonderful side for any dish.

 Moong sprouts Sabzi

Moong sprouts 1 cup
Onion finely chopped 1 small
Garlic ( optional)
Tomatoes (optional)
Oil to sautee 1-2 spoons
Cumin/ zeera seeds
Turmeric , chilli powder and salt

Heat oil in a pan, add zeera . once it sputters add garlic and onion and cook till translucent. Add 1 cup of moong sprouts and the  preffered seasonings.Add water to help make it softer. No addition of water is necessary if crunchy texture is preferred.
    My kids are a big fan of this ...especially since it looks like peas. Its good for them and they love it what could be better.

Pesarattu                     
It is a common breakfast in the state of  Andhra Pradesh. It makes a hearty and filling brunch that is high in protein content.

Grind together in a blender
2 cups moong sprouts
2 spoons of rice powder
half a small onion chopped
chopped ginger/ginger paste 1 tsp
cumin/zeera seeds
Salt to taste.
and required amount of water

Spread a ladle of batter on a hot griddle. Sprinkle finely chopped onions and cumin/zeera seeds on top. Drizzle oil( optional- avoid if trying to watch your cholesterol level) flip the pesarattu.
serve hot with chutney.

Note - Addition of vegetables like carrots( vit A), red and yellow bell peppers ( vit C) to the standard onion and tomato chutney increases the nutritional value as well as improves taste.



My weight loss strategy now is to eat a large bowl of salad or raita before every meal, along with regular exercise of course. Need to work on portion control. Keeping my finger crossed .

Bhel puri

I was off for a 1 month vacation to India ( If you could call it that:)) , hence my absence.
One month of preparing for two weddings,shopping, yummy food, people to take care of my kids, being pampered in salons, being more pampered by parents and In laws and more shopping, I am back home in the peak of winter.
                In the last one month, losing weight never crossed my mind. I would have been overjoyed if I had'nt put on any weight. I did lose weight in spite of that ..though only a couple of pounds.( not that it shows ). Need to get back to the exercise and eat right mode. Ok, ....More exercise than eat right mode :)
    Bhel puri is my all time favorite snack. Yummy and healthy and a quick fix.
Bhelpuri reminds me of all the fun times us sisters have had over the years. Its always the first thing that would pop into our head whenever we wanted to have a  midnight snack...after of course ":Maggi ".
It seems to be the perfect thing to make when i am missing them.
My sister is the best bhelpuri maker....I come a close 2nd place:)

Though every body has their own recipe, this is how I like to make it.
Recipe
Half a cup each of
Finely chopped onions
Diced cucumber
Diced tomatoes
Grated carrots
diced boiled potatoes

finely chopped cilantro for garnish
puffed rice cereal 1-1.5 cups
roasted peanuts to taste 
Store bought sev to taste

Green cilantro chutney
Grind together 1 cup cilantro
                      half a small onion
                      garlic 2 pods
                      tamarind paste half spoon
                      green chillies 2
                      salt to taste
Store in airtight container in the fridge.
Sugar/ jaggery( optional) 1 tsp
 Lemon juice to taste

Method
Mix the veggies with couple  of spoons of green chutney .
Add sugar, salt and lemon juice as required.
mix in the puffed rice cereal. The mixing needs to be done fast.
Sev, roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro can be sprinkled on top or mixed in at the end.

Bhel puri should be eaten immediately or it can get soggy. Eating when the rice ceral is still crunchy is the best way to eat.