I soaked a cup of black chickpeas and sprouted them a while ago, and I cannot get enough of them! Oh, where shall I begin? Many are the virtues of this humble legume, and I cannot stop extolling them. Black chickpea sprouts will help you reduce you weight, and prevent the formation of acids in the body. It prevents bloating too, and the choline in it helps in the development of your brain. It keeps your heart, bones and hair healthy too. And best of all? No tummy troubles after! Here’s how you can make your own sprouts at home.
Let’s get right to the black chickpea sprouts sundal then. Sundal is a snack made often in South India with a varied permutation and combination of beans and legumes. Different kinds are steamed and others cooked, and they are all tempered lightly and seasoned with fresh coconut. This particular one, I’d like to call black chickpea sprouts salad, Indian style, for at its heart it’s a (lightly steamed) vegetable seasoned with oil.
This little snack-cum-salad is crackly, crunchy and soft, and has a nutty and wholesome flavour that elevates the flavour of the black chickpea sprouts. What a great way to reduce weight, no? No wonder I (and the people at home) can’t get enough of this black chickpea sprouts sundal. A spoonful here and two spoonfuls there, and it disappears quickly. And I bet you’ll end up eating them everyday! Do not forget to let me know how they turned out; take a picture and use the hashtag #notjustspice on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
You’ll have to steam the sprouts for while though, as they are harder than some others like green gram. It’s quite alright though, steaming will not neutralise the nutrients like boiling them on high heat will.
I soaked a cup of black chickpeas and that yielded 370 g of sprouts. This amount is bound to vary from house to house. I used two-thirds to make this black chickpea sprouts salad, Indian style, and the remaining to make black chickpea sprouts Indo-Mediterranean salad. As soon as I hit upon a few more ideas for black chickpea sprouts’ recipes, I’ll come back with more recipes. Do let me know what kind you’d like in the comments below.
- 250 g (8.8 oz) black chickpea sprouts (to get 250 g sprouts, you’ll have to soak 2/3 cup black chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup heaped thinly sliced onion 70 g
- 2 tablespoons oil sunflower or sesame or groundnut
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon split urad dal split black gram without the skin
- A sprig of curry leaves optional
- 3 dried red chillies
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Steam the black chickpea sprouts for 12 minutes.
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In a wok or kadai, add the oil over medium heat. While it gets hot break the red chillies in half and tap the open ends on your countertop to get rid of the seeds.
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When the oil gets hot, add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the dried red chillies and split black gram.
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When you see the split black gram beginning to change colour (it should happen in 6 seconds after you’ve added them into the pan), add the onions and curry leaves. Sauté.
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Add the asafoetida powder and turmeric powder once the onions turn pink and saute until the onion start turning golden.
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Add the cooked legumes and the salt. Mix thoroughly.
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Switch of the heat and sprinkle the grated coconut over the sundal.
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Serving: Serve hot or cold.
Related Links:
5 health benefits of black chickpeas (The Indian Express)
Kala Chana Nutritional Facts (Livestrong.com)
Black Chickpea Sprouts Indo-Mediterranean Salad (notjustspice.com)
How To Make Sprouts at Home, and Why (notjustspice.com)
Multigrain Sundal (notjustspice.com)