Sprouted Mung beans Ambat/Ghashi

Konkani curries are cooked mostly with coconut, and even though the sea food dishes are quite popular, the vegetarian side dishes are equally flavorful. Mung beans are used quite often in Konkani cuisine. Mung beans are sprouted for this preparation, in which the gravy is made with coconut as the base. Including sprouts in your diet is great, as they are nutrient dense and easier to digest.

During festivals and special occasions , this green gram curry (of course prepared without onions) is served as a side dish to be enjoyed along with rice. The sprouted green gram Ambat is full of nutrients and is so tasty, especially with the cashews added in. Diced Potatoes, or Mangalore cucumber can also be mixed in for added flavor.

Sprouted Moong Ambat and Ghashi pics

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sprouted mung beans

• 1/2 cup cashews (optional) or Bibbo (dried cashews with skin)

• 2 cups grated coconut

• 8 roasted red Bedgi/Byadgi chillies (or couple more if you like spicy gravy. These chillies give the deep color without the spicy heat)

• 1 tbsp tamarind pulp (3/4 tsp if using a concentrate)

• 1/2 of an onion finely chopped

• 1 or 2 tablespoons coconut oil for the seasoning

• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Soak the sprouted mung beans and take the skin off. I usually take off as much as I can. These days sprouted mung beans are available in the store. It is not hard to soak and sprout them. I always make my own sprouts. I will try to make a blog post on sprouting legumes soon.

2. Soak the raw cashews in hot water for a couple of hours. If you are using bibbo, soak and remove the skin.

3. Cook the mung sprouts and cashews and any other mix ins and keep aside. (Please refer to cooking instructions below.)

4. Grind the coconut, red bedgi chillies, tamarind pulp adding enough water to make a fine paste.

5. Add the coconut paste into the cooked mung beans mixture. Add salt to taste and bring to a rolling boil.

6. Prepare seasoning - heat coconut oil, and fry the chopped onions in the hot oil till nice and brown. Sprinkle over the curry. Your Ambat is now ready to enjoy.

Notes:

• Traditionally, the green skin of the sprouted green gram is removed before adding them to the

curry by soaking them in water for 15 - 20 minutes. (some of the skins float to the top when it

comes to the top. I skim them off)

• Cook the sprouts and the cashews on the stove top. (It usually takes about 20 minutes.) In a

pressure cooker, it takes about 10 minutes.(about 2 whistles) You can also cook them in your

Instant Pot, on manual or pressure cook mode for 2 minutes. Continue with the rest of the

recipe as stated above.

• If this curry is prepared for a festive occasion, a marriage or a pooja, a seasoning

with mustard seeds, asafoetida (optional) and curry leaves is used instead of the

onions. In that case, the curry is called "Ghashi"!