Sprout salad for the soul

Come mornings these days, contemplative thoughts on the day’s menu start sticking around in my mind like fluffy cotton lint. So, instead of concentrating on my my morning exercises, I end up visualizing all these grandiose meals.

But summer mornings are really meant for simple fare like a nice sprout salad. It’s cooling on the system while the ‘life-force’ or ‘Prana’ of the sprouted seeds increases your own energy levels. It’s real simple to prepare, actually.

Soak a cupful of whole green gram in water. After a few hours, drain out the water and wash the seed with fresh water. Cover the turgid seeds with a light, wet, muslin cloth. Leave this ‘bag’ overnight in a dark, moist corner on the kitchen counter.

Apparently, Chinese physicians used to prescribe sprouts for curing many disorders, more than 5000 years ago. Green gram is high in nutritional and fibre value.

Nutritional value of Green Gram (Per 100 grams)

Energy : 30 calories
Protein : 3 grams
Carbohydrate : 6 grams
Dietary Fiber : 2 grams

Left overnight you will see tiny white stalks emerge from the seed, a sign of mystic, vibrant life.

Now transfer the seed into a nice ceramic bowl. Mix in some finely chopped onion, tomato and grated carrot. Add a pinch of salt to the mix. You can squeeze some lemon into the mixture to get that tangy taste.

Your sprout salad is ready to go!