Green lentil sprouts or mung

The monsoon is the great growing season in India.  It’s also the giving season. It’s when the gods pour rain onto parched land. Farmers smile with relief, and city dwellers buy all their rain supplies in crowded markets: rain boots, umbrellas, and rain coats. Big fat droplets cool down the summer heat and a new blossoming green drapes the country side with the color of vegetation, symbolizing growth and fruition. In India, there are festivals to celebrate the season of abundance. Then there are fasts and pujas, weddings and after wedding celebrations that go on for the whole year. But this fun always starts with rain, with the resurgence of new life, when nature gives plentifully with open hands. The fragrance and flowering of those descending sheets of water never leave the hearts of Indians especially those from my home state Maharashtra, of which the capital city is Mumbai. From this rain crazed Mumbai, we bring you sprouts. When tiny shoots scramble out of those pretty green lentils, earth beckons you to rejoice and cook your first homegrown protein rich meal. Go on, make your own lentils. Soften them with oil and spice. Spread the stew (usal) on steamy rice. Add some ghee if you’re thoroughly spoilt, and squeeze a lemon just for kicks. It might rain today.

How to sprout:

Basically, the process resembles a lesson in germination. Give a seed some water. Incubate it in heat and humidity. Watch it sprout.

Steps:

1. Soak 1 cup of mung, green lentils in 3-4 cups of cold water. Cover with a lid. Let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.  (I usually use a bigger bowl than seems necessary to avoid overcrowding, so my lentils have enough room to absorb water and grow turgid.)
2. Scoop out the lentils along with some remaining water into a white cheese cloth.  (Make sure to let in some water, enough to dampen the cloth, else the lentils will not sprout). Throw away rest of the water, emptying the bowl.
3. Pile the cheese cloth over the lentils to make a bundle. Secure with a knot. Place the bundle, knot down into a bowl (I use the same bowl from step 2 above). Allow to sit for 6-8 hours covered in a warm dark place (time varies depending on heat and humidity).
4. Untie the cheese cloth. Transfer sprouts in a container with a lid. Refrigerate immediately. Left sitting on the kitchen counter, lentils will start to give off a bad smell- remember all the heat that’s gone into it? – So, cool the sprouts unless you are throwing them in a hot pan right away.

I normally make a big batch and save it in freezer bags. That way, I have a ready supply for a quick delicious meal any time I want. If you’ve got the munchies, try some mung sprouts with peanuts, like I do. But beware; they are hard on the digestive system when raw. So go easy.

FYI… The time and quantity of water in this recipe are approximate. As mentioned before, how long it takes to sprout, and how much water the grain actually absorbs both depend on environmental conditions and quality of the grain itself. So watch and adjust.  You can never go too wrong. Even if you get minimal germination, or none at all, have a heart; you tried your best didn’t you?-just like I try my Pashchimottanasana and feel good about it any way. As in Yoga so in cooking; your best today is the finest ever.

Just in case, try this… On very cold and dry Houston days (what are these?) I trick my lentils into believing they are back in the tropics. I warm the oven for 5 minutes, turn it off, and then place the nice soggy lentil bundle (from step 3) in the oven, in

Mother Vidula practices vegetarianism and teaches cooking classes for the center

 sprouting heaven.

Bon appetit! and “Namaste!”- From the divine in me to the divine in you.