Channagi Saaru - Sprouted Lentil Amati

(Sprouted Masoor Amati in Marathi)

Recently Jaya announced a nice 'Repost Event', rewrite and repost past recipes to that you had posted in the very beginning and was lost because you were new blogger. I had one more problem, I used to write most of my recipes in Marathi back then. It became more tedious when I started participating in events to write same recipe in English and Marathi, and proof read it etc become like a second job. Finally I had to switch to English only posts. This event gave one (more) incentive to convert some of my favorite recipes in English.

I spent many of my summer vacations in Belgaum at my Ajji's (father's aunt) place. She always had a cook at home mainly to do some mundane work in the kitchen like making chapatis, rotti's (Bhakari) and daily preparation. Actual cooking was always done by my Ajji or my aunts. I learned a lot of things from Ajji. I have shared her simple toor daal amati recipe here. Tuesdays were different than rest of the week as my uncles get to stay home as shops are closed! In the evening we would go out to eat or one of my uncle would take charge of the kitchen. He would make something that gave him opportunity to show all his culinary skills. We kids would always help him here and there. This is one of his recipes - Channagi Saaru (Channagi - Masoorm, Saaru - Curry). I would always ask him to make this when I visited. He would serve it with plain white bread, bit of sev and lime juice. It used to be heaven in a bowl.

I must tell you whole lentils from Belgaum are smaller than you get everywhere in Maharashtra. And they are more flavorful and my favorite. Cooked lentils are more earthen but once they are sprouted and cooked they become sweeter and much more delicate than you expect.

Sprouted Lentil Amati

2 cups Sprouted Whole Lentils

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 tbsp Goda Masala

Salt and red chili powder per taste.

2 pieces Kokum

Small piece of jaggery (about a tsp)

1 tbsp Oil

For tempering - Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, pinch of asafoetida, turmeric, few curry leaves

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (optional)

Hot water as needed

Chopped cilantro for garnishing

Preparation -

Place sprouted lentils in a bowl. Mix ginger garlic paste, goda masala, little bit of red chili powder with 1-2 tbsp water. Add this masala paste to sprouts and mix well. Keep this aside for at least 1 hour.

Heat oil in heavy bottom pan and make tempering as usual using cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric. Add few curry leaves too.

Now add sprouts and saute for at least 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add red chili powder and enough hot water to cover it. Mix in chopped onion. Cover and let it cook.

Add salt, kokum and jaggery at the end and boil it for 3-4 minutes.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with bread.

Tips -

1. Sprouting lentils is not hard. Just soak them for 7-8 hours. Drain and spread over paper towel/cheese cloth for an hour. Keep them in a colander cover with damp cheese cloth and keep in warm place for 10-12 hours minimum.
2. Please use red onion if you you are planning to use it. I feel white or yellow onions do not give the desired taste. Do not saute onions.
3. Tastes great with bread, cooked quinoa, rice or chapati.
4. You can add a tablespoon of fresh coconut if you wish.