“Mom, what’s for lunch?” Startled, I looked up the clock to see it was just 10 minutes to our lunch time. I was deeply immersed in some cleaning chore and had lost count of time. So here I was with a bowl of boiled sprouted peas and some steamed rice. I had 10 minutes to turn these into lunch! I work best under pressure. (I mean, when –time–is–running-short kind of pressure, and not the boss-down-my-neck kind of pressure) The sundal I assembled proved this right! A bowl of yummy goodness was the result. The side dish worked well with chilled curd rice. So why serendipity? I was searching for an idea for a quick side dish and wound up with this filling, tasty, nourishing dish!
What’s good about this dish?
- Sprouts are real, live, complete, nutrient packed, power houses.
- Pea sprouts are rich in Vitamin A, B, C, E, the minerals Calcium, iron and all essential amino acids.
- While pressure cooking does take away some nutrients, sprouting and cooking renders the protein easily digestible, ensures it is well absorbed, and prevents discomfort due to indigestion. So this is a good cooking method for people with IBS, Mal absorption syndrome.
- Sprouts are vital for teenagers, people engaged in active sports, pregnant and breast feeding mothers, weight-watchers and for body builders.
- Including sprouts in a vegan /vegetarian diet improves the protein quality of the meal.
You need
- Red onions – dice and measure 1 heaped cup
- Capsicum – chop and measure 1/2 cup ( I used green, red or yellow would work well too)
- Frozen /Fresh corn kernels – 1/2 cup
- White peas sprouts – 1 level cup
- Fresh /Frozen coconut – grated, 2 tbsp
- Green chilli – 3
- Garlic – 1-2 pods
- Salt – 1 level tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Cumin seed – 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves – chopped, 2 heaped tbsp
- Pressure cook white peas sprouts until soft, but not mushy.
- Heat oil in a fry pan / kadhai, add mustard seeds and cumin.
- When it splutters, add diced onions fry well till light brown (you can add 1/2 tsp of sugar while frying to get the onions taste sweet).
- Tip in the diced capsicum, corn kernels, toss well.
- Once the veggies look ‘fried but not wilted’(in about 2 minutes), toss in the cooked peas.
- Add salt and turmeric powder, mix well. Cover for a minute.
- Make a coarse powder of coconut, garlic and green chilli in the mixer. I just used the ‘pulse’ button a couple of times. Add this to the peas and mix in well.
- Top off with chopped coriander for a very fragrant, healthy dish.
Variations
- You can add/omit veggies used in this recipe.
- Add a zing to the dish by squeezing in lemon juice after cooking.
- Add fennel seeds/saunf to the seasoning to give a nice twist to flavour.
- Use parboiled peas and corn with raw onion, capsicum and shredded carrots for a colourful salad.
Sending this hearty dish to Renuka's ongoing event 'Salad splendour'
