Hara Channa (Green Chickpeas)

Fresh Hara Channa from the pod

Sprouting is a process of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they germinate, or sprout. The seeds should be soaked overnight and then rinsed well before the process of germination. Sprouting could be done in a Sprout Maker or simply by placing the soaked seeds in a container covered with a lid which has holes for the air to pass through. Sprouting could be done on a variety of seeds which includes mung bean, peanuts, channa (green or brown), black eyed beans, chick peas, barley and much more. Moisture, warmth are essential for sprouting and in some cases indirect sunlight is also necessary for sprouting. Some sprouts, such as mung beans, can be grown in the dark. Little time, effort or space is needed to make sprouts.

Sprouts are rich in digestible energy, bioavailable vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, beneficial enzymes and phytochemicals. These nutrients are essential for human health. Very complex qualitative changes are reported to occur during soaking and sprouting of seeds. Many studies have shown an increase in the content of the amino acid with sprouting.
So, eat your Sprouts!

Soak a cup of dried green channa overnight or any seed of your choice. Drain water well and use either a sprout maker of your choice or simply place it in a container, cover it with a lid which has some holes for air to pass through. Place it in a warm place for germination to occur fast. Leave it undisturbed. By evening or the next day you should start seeing the germination.
Some seeds take longer time to germinate. In that case, sprinkle some water every day and cover it until you see the germination. If you use the sprout maker, be sure to change the water in the sprout maker once a day. Use it in your salads, are slightly saute in some oil and cumin seeds, salt and red chillie powder or steam it with some salt and eat. Eat the way you like but the best is to eat them raw after germination in a salad to take advantage of its full nutritional value.

Quesadilla

Quasedilla is a Mexican dish which involves cooking with ingredients such as most popularly cheese and/or vegetables and/or meat, inside a flour or corn or wheat tortilla or Masa. Exactly what constitutes a quesadilla varies from region to region. There is also variation between the U.S. and Mexico, and is not universally agreed upon but there are similarities between the different versions namely that the quesadilla is cooked after being filled or stuffed, while a taco or burrito is filled with pre-cooked ingredients.

Salsa could be added to quasedilla to give you a zing. Everyone loves vegetable quasedilla’s in my family and it is very easy to make with just a few ingredients. You can add vegetables of your choice; sky is the limit for your imagination.

Corn or Flour or wheat tortillas
1 Red Bell Pepper cut length-wise
1 Green Bell Pepper cut length-wise
Some frozen corn
Canned Black beans or Kidney beans
Pickled and sliced Jalapeno peppers
grated cheese of your choice. I prefer Fontina cheese.
Salt to taste
1 - 2 tsp oil

In a pan over medium flame, saute each vegetable separately until al dente. mash the beans half way through. Then place only one tortilla on the pan. On one side of the torilla, add the vegetables. Top it with cheese and jalapeno.

Fold the other half to completely cover the vegetables and cheese. Press it with a spatula so that the melting cheese will seal the ends of the tortilla and the vegetables won’t fall out. Brush it with a little bit of oil. Once the cheese has melted and the vegatables are warmed, flip the tortilla and let it warm up on the other side too. When the crust is formed a little bit and the cheese has melted well, its time to take it out of the pan. Cut it in triangles and your hot Quasedilla’s are ready to be served. Jazz it up with some fresh home made salsa.