3 Easy Steps to Make Moth Bean Sprouts at Home
Eating sprouts is a great way of improving the quality of food you consume. Sprouts are known to provide many health benefits, such as improved immunity, better digestion, etc. They are also known to help improve hair growth, heart health, etc. Studies have also shown that the protein content in lentils and beans increases when you sprout them.
What are Sprouts?
Sprouting is the process by which seeds germinate. If you put any seed (which is intact and in its cover) in soil and water it, you will notice that, in a few days, a shoot starts growing from it. If you allow it to grow, it will become a plant.
Sprouts are, basically, germinated seeds.
What seeds can be used for sprouting?
Any seed that has skin and is intact (not split) can be sprouted. For example, whole moong dal with skin (the green one) can be sprouted, whereas split moong dal (the yellow one or the green one) cannot be sprouted.
You can sprout kidney beans, chickpeas, whole moong dal, whole urad dal, etc. Just keep in mind that the seed should have its skin and must be intact (not split)
Can Sprouts be made at home?
Yes, sprouts are easy to make at home and don’t require much effort. 
Is any specialized equipment needed to make sprouts?
No, you don’t need any specialized kitchen equipment to make sprouts. All you need is a bowl to wash and soak the legume and a sieve/cotton cloth to let the sprouts develop.
How long does it take for a legume to sprout?
It depends on how long you want the shoots to be. For small shoots, 8-10 hours are enough. For longer shoots, 24-48 hours are needed.
What is the process of making sprouts?
Making sprouts is a three-step process. Let’s understand step by step how sprouts are made. I have shown the steps with Moth Beans.
Step 1: Wash Moth Beans thoroughly to remove dirt and foreign particles. Soak them in water for about 8-10 hours. For soaking, combine 1 cup of Moth Beans with 3 cups of water.
Step 2: After 8-10 hours, wash them once again and transfer the swelled beans to a sieve. Cover the sieve with a lid. Keep a bowl below it so that the excess water that drips from the beans gets collected in the bowl.
Step 3: After 8-10 hours, you will notice small shoots growing from the seeds. You can use the beans for your recipe after this stage. If you want them to be well-sprouted, let them rest for another 30 hours.
After about 30 hours (i.e. in total, after around 40 hours), the shoots will become longer.
Now, your sprouts are ready to be used.
Important Notes:
If, after 24 hours, the beans look too dry, sprinkle some water on them so that they stay moist.
Instead of a sieve, you can wrap the soaked and swelled beans in a cotton cloth, knot it and hang it to a hook. Leave it like that for 48 hours. After 24 hours, pour some water on the knotted cloth so that the beans become moist. The excess water will drip down through the cloth, and the beans will stay moist.
Can Moth Bean Sprouts be eaten raw?
Yes, they can be. However, some people may find it difficult to digest, so to be safe, cook the Moth Bean Sprouts before consumption. Cooking also helps avoid the risk of food poisoning. Moreover, cooked sprouts taste a lot better than raw ones.
What is the best way to cook Moth Bean sprouts?
You can boil, steam or stir fry moth bean sprouts.
Boiling:
It is said that boiling takes away the nutrients that were gained by sprouting the beans, but this is the best method if you face digestion problems when you eat sprouts. Combine sprouts and water in a 1:2 ratio. Add salt as per your preference and pressure cook the sprouts. By pressure cooking, you can be assured that the sprouts are well-cooked. After cooking, don’t discard the water. It is full of nutrition. Use it to knead flour or use it in any gravy dish.
Steaming:
Another efficient way of cooking sprouts is to steam them. Spread them on a steamer plate and steam them on high heat for 5-8 minutes. 
Sir Frying:
Put a spoonful of oil and add the sprouts. Add salt, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Mix in between. After 10 minutes, check if you can mash the bean between your fingers. If yes, the sprouts are cooked and ready to be eaten.
Different ways to consume Sprouts:
You can consume sprouts in many ways. The simplest way is to add salt to the cooked sprouts and enjoy them while they are hot. To improve the taste further, add a bit of ghee and mix it with the salted sprouts.
If you have more time and enthusiasm, you can make sprouts chaat (by combining them with tamarind chutney, mint chutney, bhujiya sev, etc.), sprouts salad ( by combining them with carrots, cucumber, corn, etc.), sprouts sundal ( by stir-frying the sprouts), gravy and even use them in your sandwiches.
To check out other recipes from my kitchen, click here.
Equipment for making Sprouts and cooking them:
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