What I’ve got for you here is a protein rich Sprouts Salad, also called as Sprouted Moong Salad. This Sprouts Salad recipe is very easy to prepare and full of taste as well as vegan, gluten-free and low fat. You really just have to bring all the ingredients and toss them together to get this simple, yet super enriching salad that can be made within minutes.
Table of Contents
More on Sprouts Salad
If you are not really into salads and feel that these bowls of fresh greens, vegetables or fruits are not able to suffice as a complete meal, then you’re highly mistaken. For instance, take this Sprouts Salad recipe. The flavors in this are refreshing, it tastes good and is enough to keep you full for a long time, in the most nourishing way.
The best part is that you can make your own sprouts at home and use directly to make this Sprouts Salad recipe. Though, you can still use the sprouted moong brought from the market, I suggest you refer to this detailed post of How To Grow Bean Sprouts and have a fresh batch ready at home.
Once the moong beans are sprouted, you can rustle it up with other ingredients into the Sprouts Salad with amazing textures and flavors according to your taste. Make the salad crunchy, spicy, tangy or sweet – the result totally depends on your innovative streak!
What you need to keep in mind is that the moong sprouts should be boiled or steamed for this salad. They should be completely cooked, but not mushy as we would still want that crunch in the salad. You can keep the sprouts half-cooked too for that extra munch.
What’s More
Generally, the water in which the moong sprouts are boiled or steamed is discarded. On the contrary, you must not throw it away as it is very nutritious. Instead, use the water in your cooking or give to your plants and herbs in the kitchen garden.
Other than using these homemade moong sprouts in this Sprouts Salad recipe, you can also use them in other yummy chaat treats like Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Dahi Papdi Chaat or make traditional curries like Usal.
This healthy Sprouted Moong Salad is especially good for people who do not have much time for cooking or not a pro cooking geek, and also college goers staying in a hostel or PG apartments or working professionals staying away from their families. This salad works well during summers.
Variations
I usually add finely chopped onion, tomato and green chili, sprinkle some black salt and a few drops of lemon juice in this Sprouts Salad. I like having it this way, mostly as a breakfast. One of those very few salads, which I actually enjoy as a brekkie meal.
You can also add boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes in addition to onions and tomatoes. Sweet potato is a healthier alternative to the regular potato.
If you want sweet undertones in your Sprouts Salad recipe, add fresh fruits or dried fruits of your choice. Citrus fruits like orange and sweet lime go very well with moong sprouts. Other than this, you can use pomegranate, mangoes, apples, etc.
Try adding roasted peanuts or seeds like sunflower, sesame and pumpkin to boost the nutritive value of the salad.
Health Benefits of Sprouts Salad
It is only fair to call this Sprouts Salad, a wealth of nutrients. I mean there’s not one element in it that won’t do good for your body and system.
Read on to know some of the reasons why you must consider consuming this Sprouts Salad in your day-to-day meal schedules.
- This salad is a powerhouse of proteins and fibre, which help in managing the blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
- It can be easily digested and the onion used in it helps to reduce inflammation.
- This salad is a great choice for weight watchers as it is low in fats. Thus, good for weight loss.
- It is really good for a healthy heart and helps keep diabetes at bay.
- Sprouts Salad is also rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which help to maintain the overall health of organs.
How to make Sprouts Salad
Prepare Moong Sprouts
1. Firstly, you have to sprout the moong beans. Follow my detailed guide with video and stepwise photos to know more on making homemade Mung Bean Sprouts.
2. Once the moong sprouts are ready, rinse 2 cups of the moong bean sprouts thoroughly in water a few times using a strainer or colander.
3. Drain all of the water. Then, either steam or boil the moong sprouts till completely cooked, but not mushy. You can even keep them half cooked if you want a crunchy taste.
You can opt to cook the sprouts in a pan or steam in a steamer pan or pot. Add water as required to steam or cook whichever method you follow.
4. Next, drain the water from the cooked moong sprouts.
5. Measure all the ingredients and keep them ready for making the Sprouts Salad.
Make Sprouts Salad
6. Take the steamed or boiled moong sprouts in a large mixing bowl or vessel.
7. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and about ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
8. Next, add 1 finely chopped green chili (about ½ to 1 teaspoon) and 1 finely chopped boiled potato (optional).
You can choose to skip adding potatoes if you prefer. Alternatively add some boiled sweet potato cubes instead of potatoes.
For small kids skip the green chillies and also the red chilli powder.
9. Then, add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika) and ½ or 1 teaspoon chaat masala (optional).
Skip chaat masala if you do not have it and add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of roasted cumin powder or ground cumin.
10. Mix very well.
11. Lastly, season with salt and pour 1 teaspoon lemon juice or as required. Mix well.
Check the taste and add more of the spices and seasonings like salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala and lemon juice if needed.
12. Garnish with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves.
12. Serve the Sprouts Salad immediately with few lemon wedges.
Expert Tips
- The moong sprouts may develop a stinky smell and become slimy to touch due to the formation of fungus or any other microorganism on them while sprouting. In this case, do not use those beans and trash them.
- To make this salad, the moong sprouts have to be first steamed or boiled till completely cooked, but not mushy. Do this in an open pan and not a pressure cooker in order to avoid the beans from turning into a lumpy mass. To have a crunch in the salad, you can also keep the moong sprouts half cooked.
- The water which is used to boil/steam the sprouts is nutrient-rich. It can be used for cooking or watering the plants and herbs in your kitchen garden.
- The spice powders and seasonings can be adjusted according to your taste preferences.
FAQs
Yes, you can carry this salad in your lunch box. Just make sure to either add less or no onions as they release a lot of moisture and change the aroma of the salad after some hours.
Not really. It is always better to use steamed or cooked moong sprouts for this salad. You can keep the beans half cooked for a crunchy taste.
To avoid this, you should cook the moong sprouts in an open pan in some salted water. It doesn’t take long to cook the sprouts like this. You can also cover the pan and cook the sprouts.
Yes, you can definitely do so.
The moong beans begin to sprout within a day. To grow long and tender sprouts, it can take 2 to 3 days depending on the quality of beans, the room temperature and weather.
Generally, old and aged moong beans take a long time to sprout or don’t sprout at all. In order to avoid this, you must check the date on the package while buying and preferable use organic beans.
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Sprouts Salad (Sprouted Moong Salad)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Mung Bean Sprouts
- ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small-sized onion
- ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes or 1 small to medium-sized tomato
- ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies or 1 green chilli – optional
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chaat masala – optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or as required
- 1 boiled potato or boiled sweet potato, peeled & finely chopped – optional
- salt or rock salt (edible and food grade) or black salt, as required
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves – for garnish
- 2 lemon slices – for garnish
Instructions
Boiling moong sprouts
- Firstly, you have to sprout the moong beans. Check this detailed method to make homemade Mung Bean Sprouts.
- Once the moong sprouts are ready, rinse them in water a few times. Drain all the water.
- Place the sprouts in a pan or pot or steamer pan. Add water as needed and boil or steam the sprouts till they are softened and cooked well. But make sure not to overcook them until mushy.
- You can even keep them half-cooked if you want a crunchy taste.
- Then, drain all of the water from the cooked sprouts.
Making sprouts salad
- Take the cooked moong sprouts in a large bowl or vessel.
- Add finely chopped onions and finely chopped tomatoes.
- Next, add finely chopped green chilies and boiled potato cubes (optional).
- Add red chili powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika) and chaat masala (optional). Mix very well.
- Lastly, season with salt and pour lemon juice. Mix well.
- Garnish the sprouted moong salad with coriander leaves and lemon slices..
- Serve Sprouts Salad immediately.
Notes
- Use moong bean sprouts that are fresh. Do not use sprouts that smell stinky or have an unpleasant odor. If they are slimy to touch or show the presence of fungus or mold, discard them.
- You can adjust the seasonings according to your preferences.
- Add veggies like chopped cucumber, grated carrots or beets to make the salad more nutritious and colorful. You can also choose to add unripe raw green mangoes for that bright tart taste in the salad.
- Skip chaat masala if you do not have it. Add about ½ teaspoon of ground cumin powder or roasted cumin powder.
- Cook the sprouts in a pan or a steamer pan. Cooking them in a pressure cooker may make them mushy and too soft.
- The recipe can be scaled to make for larger servings.
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
This Sprouts Salad post from the blog archives first published in April 2013 has been republished and updated on 22 April 2022.
So delicious and wonderful recipe
This salad works well as a mid morning snack for me especially in this hot weather.I skipped the potato,but added finely chopped cabbage and grated carrot.Also love the variations that you have suggested.
thanks winnie. yes various raw vegetables can be added to make the salad more healthier. salads are so good in this hot weather.
Hi,
Can I carry this sprouted veges in my lunch box with all these garnishing??? Will it stay in the same condition as in the morning one???
sunayna, you can carry the sprouts salad in the tiffin. just avoid adding onions and they release a lot of water and their aroma also changes after some hours. or you can less onions.