Sprouted Methi Sabzi

I am off late quite fascinated with off beat recipes from various corners of the country. The dishes which may have been quite common in our grand parents time which were made either using some ingredients which were available only for a short window or which were prepared to strengthen the systems against common ailments during a particular season. So much ancient wisdom.

Today I am going to post one such recipe which uses an ingredient which we use at best for tadka in some dishes. This is methi or fenugreek seeds. All of us know the benefits of this small little wonder. For this recipe I have sprouted the fenugreek seeds and used a recipe once again from the coastal Karnataka region.

Since this recipe requires the seeds to be sprouted a little planning is required to make this dish.

Ingredients

100 grams of methi dana or fenugreek seeds,

Salt to taste,

1 tbsp of coconut oil (you can also use any other oil or your preference),

Half a teaspoon of mustard seeds,

A little less then ½ teaspoon of urad dal,

10-12 fresh curry leaves,

1.5 tbsp of home extracted tamarind pulp (if using readymade pulp reduce the quantity as it tends to be more concentrated),

1 tsp of spicy red chilli powder,

¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder,

¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds,

½ a cup of grated coconut

Method

Check the fenugreek for any small stones or impurities and wash well in water. Drain and add about 2 cups of water and let is soak for about 8 hours.

After 8 hours drain out the water and wash it once again in water. Wrap this in a clean cotton cloth and keep it aside for about two days or till it sprouts. Keep sprinking water on the cloth to ensure the seeds do not dry out. The amout of time it will take for germinating will depend on the weather at your place too. If you stay in a colder place it will take longer.

Heat the oil in a pan (I like to make such recipes in my mud vessel). Once it is hot add the mustard seeds and the urad dal. Once the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns light brown add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Now add the sprouts and mix well. Add little over half a cup of water and cover with a lid. Let this cook on medium heat for about ten minutes.

Once it is cooked add the coconut, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and tamarind pulp. Stir it well and cook covered for another ten minutes.

By this time all the fluids would have dried up, switch off the flame. The dish is ready to be served now.

This can be served as a side dish with rice, dal or sambar and any other vegetable-based dish.