Thursday, April 3, 2008

Sprouted Bean Salad (Salad with Sprouted Legumes With Lime Dressing)

Mixed sprout salad

As the season warms I am longing for lighter foods like simple, crunchy, munchy, sprout salad that is not only healthy, but also delicious. Makes a wonderful snack for lunch bags too! Snacks like these are sold by street vendors all over India. There is absolutely no cooking involved - the sprouts are raw! so the salad goes together very quickly. You can use homemade sprouts or buy them from the store. If you are not a fan of raw sprouts, steam them lightly.

Chat Masala is readily available in Indian Grocery Stores. You can use just salt and pepper and a little ground roasted cumin seeds or other herbs/seasonings instead as another option.

4 servings
Nutrition Information (As prepared below): 38 Calories, 1.6 g Protein, 5 g Carbohydrates, 0.15 g fat

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh sprouts, any kind or a mixture
1 medium Carrot, diced
1 small Red Bell Pepper, diced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro(Coriander Leaves) and/or Italian Parsley, chopped
1 small cucumber, diced
1/2 small Red Onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chat Masala (spice mix from India)
1 Lime/Lemon

Method:

The vegetables should be diced slightly larger than the biggest sprout used.
Place all the ingredients except the lime/lemon in a bowl. Cut the lime/lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one piece over all. Mix and taste. Squeeze the other piece of lime/lemon if you like a tangier salad. Mix and serve right away or chill until ready. Serve the salad with additional Chat Masala if desired.

Variations: An oil and vinegar dressing (or your favorite kind) can be used instead of the lime juice and chat masala. You can also add chopped ripe tomato or other vegetables to the salad.

For those who like their food spicy, add a thinly sliced or finely minced hot green chili such as Serrano or JalapeƱo.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi geetha,i liked it very much.i was looking for something healthy for my husband n myself.thanks for giving me idea.i added shrimp,boild with a lil salt and kashmiri mirch.it blends nicely with the salad

Geetha said...

Hi Anon: Thank you so much for your feedback. Glad you liked the sprouted salad. The art of cooking is fun isn't it? I am happy to have been a source of inspiration for your fun and enjoyment.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Geetha, it is great to have
quick and delicious food handy, a click away. Loved it. Blanca

Geetha said...

Hi Blanca: Thank you for your comments. I am glad the recipes are helpful and just a click away :). Enjoy!

Lara said...

This is a fantastic recipe! It is so clean and fresh tasting. I loved visiting the Indian market for the first time and could not believe the low prices on the dried beans and lentils there (plus I found some delicious Indian "hot pocket" type sandwiches in the frozen section that were awesome!) Geetha, I love your website and your recipes. Thanks so much.

Geetha said...

Hi Lara, Thank you for visiting and your lovely comments. I am glad that you had so much fun at the Indian Market - isn't wonderful to get the dried beans/lentils at such low prices? Do check out the spices too - they are a fraction of supermarket prices!!:) I am glad you found other tasty goodies there too. Many Indian markets also carry interesting veggies as well. Happy cooking to you! Best, G