Kitchen secrets - How to sprout black chickpeas / black chana / kala chana / kondakadalai

Sprouted black chickpeas are believed to be highly nutritious and rich in enzymes which promote good health. Sprouted black chickpeas can be eaten in its raw form, cooked or ground into flour. But i always prefer 1/2 cooked sprouts instead of raw. These chickpea sprouts are relatively low in calories, so you can consume them even when dieting.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 2 cups – Black chickpeas / kondakadalai / black chana / kala chana

Preparation method:

1. Wash and soak black chickpeas in enough water for upto 8 hrs or overnight.
2. Drain water completely and tie them in a clean damp cotton cloth or paper towel ( i used cheese cloth).
3. Place it in a colander and cover it with the plate, keep it in a warm place for about 1 or 2 days or until it sprouts well. Sprinkle water every 5 to 6 hours at regular intervals until sprouted.
4. After 1 1/2 day I saw my black chickpeas are beautifully sprouted. I used my sprouted black chickpeas for making salad and you can also use this sprouts for making dosai, variety rice etc.

How to freeze sprouted black chickpeas:

1. Since i sprouted 2 cups of black chickpeas, i separated sprouted black chickpeas in to two ziplock bag ( i.e each ziplock contains 1 cup of sprouts) and placed it in one freezer bag.
2. Keeping sprouts in two different ziplock bag will help us to prepare different dishes in different days without spoiling them.
3. Using marker we can specify date and time on freezer bag and freeze it until use.

Notes:

• Quality of black chickpeas is very important for making quality sprouts.
• Thoroughly wash black chickpeas for more than two times before sprouting.
• You can also use hot pack as a warm spot to make sprouts.
• Keep the black chickpeas untouched after placing it in the cotton cloth or cheese cloth. Just sprinkle water over the cotton cloth so that black chickpeas would not get dried.
• After sprouting, use it immediately or keep it in the airtight box in the refrigerator for 2 days or keep it in the freezer for later use.

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