Black chickpeas~Dried ………………………………Black Chickpeas~Soaked
A ganji gudda (loosely woven cotton cloth),
Few seeds or grains,
Water and warm weather
There you go, you have everything you need to create one of the truly miracle foods of nature - the sprouts.
The warm weather during late spring and summer season suits seed sprouting. The seeds germinate quickly and easily, often within a day or two. And this type of natural sprouting process produces superior quality sprouts that taste way better than store bought stuff, I think. There won’t be any such doubts as how old are the sprouts, any chemical spraying involved, etc. After all, you are the one who assisted in the creation of precious life force.
I started this year summer sprouts series with black chickpeas (kala chana). Earthy and nutty, black chickpeas produce robust sprouts. I found that they are little bit tough to digest raw but steam-cooked, they sure make us go shabba shabba.
Black Chickpea Sprouts in Ganji Gudda
How to:
2 cups of black chickpeas (kala chana, Nalla Sanagalu)
Loosely woven cotton cloth (cheesecloth or ganji gudda)
Wash and soak black chickpeas in plenty of water, overnight. They expand considerably, so place them in a big vessel.
In a colander, spread the cheesecloth. Pour away the water and gather soaked black chickpeas. Bring the edges together and tie a knot. Hang the cloth in a windowsill.
Allow to sprout. Usually takes a day or two. Don’t let them dry completely. Remove, sprinkle water and hang again or use a sprayer to keep the cloth moist.
Incase of chickpeas, I usually let the sprouts grow only as long as the seed. Too long a sprout, the seed turn to bitter sometimes.
Remove and simmer them in salted water until they are tender or steam-cook. I usually do steam-cooking or plain stir-fry in guggllu/sundal style.
Sprouted black chickpeas make a great snack, and a good addition to curries/stews/kurmas.
Steam-Cooked Black Chickpea Sprouts ~ Our Weekend Snack
