fenugreek sprouts

Fenugreek (methi, vendhayam) is used quite a bit in my mom's kitchen - it is toasted and powdered with sambar powders and some other masala spice mix my mom keeps handy at home.

It has never been a favorite of mine until my post-partum days when it became my close friend. A tablespoon of fenugreek sprouts a day was an essential part of the post-partum diet that my mom put me on, as it is supposedly a galactagogue and a digestive aid. When I stopped nursing, it sort of fell out of my diet, but, I have started including it again now in small quantities.

Sprout it just like whole green moong beans sprouts: soak for an hour or so, drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander, cover, leave in cool dark place; rinse and drain once a day for 3-4 days and the sprouts are ready.

It has a bitter taste and is not easy to incorporate in recipes. So, I throw a handful of fenugreek sprouts in foods that I prepare anyway:

• in dosai batter: a handful of fenugreek sprouts mixed in with the batter makes it barely noticeable, while adding some health benefit
• knead some into roti or bathura dough and cook them as usual; alternately fenugreek leaves can be used (dry or fresh) in place of sprouts to make rotis - usually sold in stores as methi roti
• in sambar, kozhambu, parippusili and other curries - just thrown in a few tablespoonful of the sprouts while cooking the usual recipe
• toss a tablespoon in salads
• another favorite way to eat this from my post-partum diet is: crush 2-3 garlic cloves, sauté it in 1 Tbsp ghee, throw in a tablespoon of sprouted fenugreek to the pan and sauté that as well; adjust salt to taste; mix this concoction with some hot steamed basmati rice and enjoy!