Sprouts and Cracked wheat Khichdi

While most of the folks are done with Navratri and the fasting that goes with the territory, it is just the beginning of the fasting season for the people of Odisha. As the holy month of Kartik has already started and Margasira is next in queue, quite a few Odia folks will be scouting for 'no onion-no garlic' recipes. Not that Odia cuisine lacks such dishes, there are more then enough to last through these two months, but sometimes a little change is very much welcome.

This simple recipe is actually inspired by the 'Kanika', an aromatic and mildly sweetened rice preparation. I have given it a really healthy makeover by substituting the rice with cracked wheat or daliya and adding the goodness of sprouted lentils. It turned out to be a winner in all aspects and I enjoy this for lunch with a glass of spiced buttermilk.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/4 cup daliya
• 1 cup sprouted lentils ( i mix green moong and kala channa)
• 1/3 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 dry red chili
• 1/2 tsp ghee
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 12-14 rasisins
• salt to taste
• pinch of turmeric

Cooking - Dry roast the daliya till it gives off a mild fragrance and turns brown by a few shades. Keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the red chili, cumin and spices. Roast till fragrant. Throw in the raisins and saute for 10 seconds.

Wash the sprouts and the daliya. Add to the cooker.

Add about  1 1/2 to 2 cups water, the turmeric, salt to taste and close the lid. Cook for 3-4 whistles on medium flame.

Keep aside till steam escapes. Open the lid and cook uncovered for a few minutes if it is too watery.

Serve warm with buttermilk. 

Sprouts Sandwich

It is still the January and I am going good job of sticking to my New Year resolutions. I have been eating healthy (Read sprouts, oats, poha, whole grains) for the last two weeks. Hence I substituted my regular potato filling with a mix of potato and sprouts ( you do need to add a bit of potato to hold those runaway sprouts together ).

Sprouts are categorized in the superfood category as they are loaded with enzymes (upto 100 more than what you get in fruits and vegetables). Enzyme help to improve the process of breaking down the ingested food so that the body can do a better job of assimilating it. The sprouting process is known to drastically improve the quality of available proteins and increase the fiber and vitamin content (especially those of vitamin A, B-complex, C and E).

Though beneficial for all, sprouts are a must have for women who are trying to conceive/pregnant. For older women nearing menopause, they help regulate hot flashes and hormone levels.

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients - 4 slices of bread, 1/2 cup sprouts (I used green moong but mixed lentils is also OK), 1 boiled and mashed potato, 1 small onion (chopped), 1/5 tsp cumin powder, a pinch of turmeric, 1/5 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 tsp oil, 2 tbsp thick/hung curd, 1 tsp tamarind-jaggery chutney (can use Imli Pichkoo instead), 1 tsp ketchup, salt to taste.

Preparation - Add salt to the curd and beat lightly. (One can also add some mint/coriander chutney to enhance the flavor)

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped onions and fry for 1 minute.

Add the mashed potato along with cumin powder, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for 1 minute. Add the sprouts along with salt. Cook covered till the sprouts are cooked (takes 3-4 mins).

Add ketchup, chopped coriander and remove from flame.

Heat a flat pan. Toast the bread slices for 1 minute (30 secs on each side). Remove from the pan and place on a plate.

Spread the curd on the both bread slices. Drizzle with the tamarind-jaggery chutney.

Take and spread about 2 tbsp of the sprouts mixture on one slice.

Place the other slice over it. Cut into two triangular pieces.

Repeat with the other two pieces.

Serve immediately with ketchup/mint chutney.

Re-posting: Pariba Ghanta ( Dwitibahana Osa Special )

Dwitbahana Osa is a fast observed by childless women in Orissa ( Do not worry if you are unable to relate to this....this custom started centuries ago before the DINKs first appeared on the scene ) . Once a woman observes a fast, she usually continues the tradition throughout her life. The presiding deity 'Dwitibahana' is offered a variety of fresh vegetables and soaked legumes/pulses to appease him. These offerings are used to prepare 'Ghanta', an Oriya delicacy and consumed the next day by these fasting women and their families. As 'Ghanta' is usually made in huge quantities and distributed among the neighbors.

The sprouts, raw banana and raw papaya used in this preparation are rich in folic acid which is usually prescribed by doctors to women who are trying to conceive. Folic acid is also very important for the early stages of fetal developement.

'Dwitibahana Osa' is being marked on 26th September this year . Though I prepare 'Ghanta' on special occasions, this year it is going to be special as my MIL is here with us. Check out Hypercity @ Kundanahalli ( You can get chopped vegetables here ) or Total @ Murugeshpallya for the vegetables and sprouts. Since the chopping of the vegetables is the most time consuming step, try to do it the day before. Here is the recipe:

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins ( I have excluded 30 mins required for chopping all the vegetables and grating the coconut )

Ingredients - Diced pumpkin/Kakharu ( 1 cup ), Ash gourd/Pani Kakharu ( 1/2 cup ), Raw Banana/Kancha Kadali ( 1/2 cup ), Suran/Yam/Mati Alu ( 1/2 cup ), Colocassia/Saru ( 1/2 cup ), Raw Papaya/Kancha Amruta Bhanda ( 1/2 cup ), Aubergine/Baigana ( 1/2 cup ), String beans/Jhudunga ( 1/2 cup ), Lima beans/Simba ( 1/2 cups ), Oau/Amba ( 1/2 cup ) or Desi Tomato ( 1 cup ), Ripe Cucumber/Budha kakudi ( 1 cup ), Parwal/potola ( 1/2 cup ), spine gourd/kaankada ( 1/2 cup),  Soaked and sprouted mixed pulses 4 cups ( yellow peas/matar, chick peas/kabuli chana, green moong/gota muga, bengal gram/kala chana ), 1 whole coconut ( half grated and half chopped ), turmeric ( 1 1/2 tsp ), ginger (  2 inch ), jeera-lanka gunda ( 2-3 tsp ), ghee ( 4 tbs ), dry red chilli/sukhila lanka ( 3-4 nos ), jeera ( 1 tsp ), bay leaves ( 2 nos ), garam masala ( 1/2 tsp, optional), sugar ( 4 tbs ), salt to taste.

Garnishing - 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup cashews, 4 tbs chopped coriander leaves. (optional) ( You can keep aside 2-3 tbs of the grated coconut for garnishing. )

Cooking - Put all the vegetables into one pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric and cook for 1 whistle. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Put the sprouts and chopped coconut slices in to another pressure cooker. Add salt and turmeric and cook for 2 whistles. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Heat 2 tbs of ghee in a large wok. Add the jeera, bay leaves, broken red chilli and chopped ginger. Fry for 1 minute maximum.

Add all the sugar, boiled vegetables and sprouts.

Mix well and cook covered for 4-5 minutes.

Add the jeera-lanka gunda and grated coconut. Mix together and remove from the flame.

Garnish with fried raisins, cashews and chopped coriander leaves. Sprinkle the remaining ghee over the ghanta.

Serve with arua (raw) rice and khatta.

Sprouts Stir Fry

Cooking Time Required: 5-10 mins
Cost of preparation: 20-25 rupees

Ingredients: Green moong sprouts ( 1 cup ), boiled potato ( 1 no., small), onion (1
no., small), tomato (1 no, small), green chilli ( 1 no.), coriander powder ( 1/5 tsp), roasted cumin-chilli powder (1/4 tsp), cumin seeds ( 2 pinch ), 1 tsp oil, salt to taste, chopped coriander leaves ( 1 tsp ) .

Preparation: Chop the onion, green chilli and tomato into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds followed by the onion pieces and
fry till translucent. Add the green chilli and chopped tomatoes and fry till tomato
softens.

Cut the boiled potato into small pieces and add to pan. Add the coriander and chilli
powder along with salt to taste.

Fry for 3-4 mins. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis and skimmed yogurt. A healthy and low calorie lunch is ready.


Note: For a variation in taste, one can add a little ginger garlic paste / sambar masala / capsicum pieces / kasuri methi.















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Sprouts chaat

Cooking Time Required: 5-1o mins
Cost of preparation: 10-15 rupees

Ingredients:

• Green moong( 50 gm)
• bengal gram ( 30 gm)
• lemon (1 nos)
• cucumber (half, medium size)
• onion (1 no., small)
• tomato (1 no, large)
• mint (pudina leaves)
• green chilli ( 1 no.)
• black salt ( to taste)
• pepper powder ( 1/2 tsp)
• cumin-chilli powder (1/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp olive oil

Preparation: Soak the green moong and bengal gram overnite. Wash in the morning and keep in a germinator. If the germinator is not available, keep the pulses in a normal kitchen colander(used for draining excess water) or put in a muslin cloth and hang it( my mon still uses this method ) . Basically, the germinating vessel should be such that it allows free circulation of air.

Allow for 10-12 hours of germination time( this will vary according to the time of the year, i.e., germination is much faster during the hot summer months.


Cooking: Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the pulses, and stir fry for about 4-5 mins. Mince the tomato, cucumber, chilli, mint leaves and onion into very small pieces. Transfer all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, add the black salt, lemon juice, pepper powder, cumin-chilli powder. Mix well and you have a healthy snack time option.

Alternately, instead of stir-frying the pulses in olive oil, the oil can be directly added to the mixing bowl.