Sprouted Methi with Dry Dates

Fenugreek seeds  have a lot of health benefits and it is best to incorporate it into your daily diet. According to my favourite nutritionist any food item which has health benefits works best when it is had as part of a meal and not when it is taken just like that as a powder or as a potion. I think that is especially true for long term benefits.

So, the fenugreek seeds are traditionally used as a seasoning for sabzis like red pumpkin and it is one of the five spices in the Bengali panch poran, it is also used as a seasoning for fish curries made in my in laws place and of course used in most pickles.

Today I am sharing a recipe where I have sprouted the fenugreek or methi seeds and made it as an exclusive sabzi with dry dates. Some time back I had shared another recipe using sprouted methi seeds. I have now also started sprouting methi seeds often and adding about a teaspoon to all my stir fries.

So here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup of sprouted methi or fenugreek seeds,

¼ teaspoon of mustard seeds,

¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds,

4-5 dry dates,

¼ teaspoon of turmeric,

1 teaspoon of chilli powder,

1 teaspoon of powdered coriander,

1 teaspoon of powdered jaggery,

1 tablespoon of amchur,

A pinch of asafoetida,

Salt to taste,

2 teaspoons of oil (I used filtered groundnut oil)

Method 

To sprout the methi seeds, wash them well in water and soak in water for about 4-5 hours. Once they are soaked, they will double in size. Drain the water completely and wrap in a moist cloth and leave it in a warm place. They should sprout in a day or day and a half. The time it will take to sprout will depend on your weather conditions. You will need to soak roughly little over ¼ of a cup of methi to get one cup of the sprouts.

Also soak the dry dates in water after washing them well. Once soaked, deseed them and cut each into 8 slices vertically.

 

Head the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds, when they start to splutter add the cumin seeds and immediately add the hing or asafoetida. Next add the sprouts, the sliced dry dates, about ½ a cup of water, the chilli and coriander powders and turmeric. Cover and let it cook on a medium flame. Once the dates and sprouts are tender, add the jaggery, amchoor and salt. Mix well and let it cook for another two minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

This goes well as a side dish with rice and dal. You can also serve it with roti or paratha.