How To Make Sprouts At Home

Until 2007 , my recipes using sprouts were very much limited to salads and sprout pilaf. Then one beautiful Fall day in 2007 I had the opportunity to try the sprouted panini sandwich at Spicy Pickle here in Colorado Springs. Along with other veggies, it had a layer of alphalpha sprouts. Believe me I had that sandwich every week until they closed the branch in Colorado Springs. I recreated that panini sandwich in my own kitchen but I could never match the taste of the original sandwich.

 

 

Sprouts have a higher nutritional value as compared to the original beans. They are becoming popular around the globe. Many restaurants have them on their menu. Now I use them regularly in soups, salads, khichdi, veggie pilaf , wraps and of course sandwiches ! Many of you blog readers have asked me to share the technique to make sprouts at home. I’m using  Green lentils for our purpose.

 

You will need 

1 cup Whole Green lentils

Cheese cloth

A medium bowl for soaking the lentils overnight

Colander

 

Method/ Technique

 

Wash the lentils  and soak in enough water for upto 8 hrs or overnight. I prefer overnight soaking.

 

 

Next morning or after 8 hours , drain water completely  and tie the lentils in a clean damp cotton cloth ( cheese cloth works best ) or paper towel.

 

 

Place the cheese cloth with green lentils in a colander and cover it with the plate. Keep it in a warm place for couple of days or until it sprouts well. Sprinkle water every 5 to 6 hours at regular intervals until fully sprouted.

 

 

On 3rd day,  I usually get beautiful sprouts upto an inch in length. If you keep them for another day or two, sprouts will grow even longer.

 

 

Side Notes

It may take a little longer ( an extra day ) for the sprouts to appear during winters. To speed up the process in extreme cold weather, put the cheese cloth with lentils in an oven ( WITHOUT turning on the oven). Inside the oven , it will be slightly warmer than the kitchen shelf.

Don’t forget to sprinkle water every 6 hours. If you forget this step, it will even take longer to sprout.

You may use any other whole grain or beans for sprouting and use the same technique. Bengal grams ( see the first picture above ), Black Eyed Peas, Chick Peas are some other good options. Once you have your sprouts, just get creative and use them in your salads, soups, pilaf or sandwiches. I will be sharing couple of recipes with sprouts as main ingredient in the coming weeks. So stay tuned !

 

If you have any questions, do let me know in comments below.

If you make these sprouts using the above technique do share your picture on my Facebook or Instagram. You can also use the #desicookingclub on Instagram.

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