SPROUTS OF MOONG OR MONGO BEANS, THE NO 1 SUPER HEALTH FOOD – CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

SPROUTED GREEN GRAM , CHERUPAYAR,  THE POWERHOUSE OF NUTRIENTS – CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

I am just back after a full body heavy duty Ayurvedic oil massage.   

I always take a bath with Cherupayar podi ( Moong powder ) as this does a better job than soap and shampoo.  On top of removing every trace of oil, it exfoliates the skin.  The ancient Maharishis in all their wisdom used this as soap. You should try this out.

While taking the bath , my wind wandered and I suddenly let out a loud laugh.

Immediately mE wife wants to know why I laughed and that too with so much joy ?  Probably a pretty young girl stashed away somewhere?  See this is called PMS syndrome.  TEE HEEEE !

So I said , I just remembered a joke which I had forgotten . 

Now this is a true incident narrated by my Sardarji friend.

They had a PT master , who was a jolly rotund Sardarji.  He was a good man and used to mix around with the college students –all Punjabis.   

Sometimes they would share a beer with him and it was usual for him to make this mournful statement after a wholesome swig of beer with a loud sigh “ You guys are so lucky. In my time we ate grams and survived”.

After some time this dialogue got on their nerves and so the students conspired to end this type of a melancholy statement, which went against his jovial nature.

So the next time he made this statement, all the boys got up and said “ Sir, we are so lucky to have a nice master like you. We want to touch your feet!”

And they all rushed towards him , all trying to catch his feet.

So far so good.

In between one boy said “ Give me some space, I cant see his feet. OK, then I will hold his balls” and then he squeezed it at bit hard -- a most sensitive twin spot “.  

And the master cried OUCCCHHH!

After this incident every time he started off with “ You guys are so luc----“  he would hold on to his balls and look at the naughty boys and not say the balance part of “ in my time we ate grams and survived “

He was talking about SPROUTED MOONG BEANS.

It many be a poor man’s fare, but even today it is the KING AMONG HEALTH FOODS.

Watch the video above, to check out how green grams sprout.

I remember when I was a small boy , we had a school project of sprouting beans and writing an essay about it. I had no dang idea , so my father helped me out.

He showed me two ways.

In one I can watch it sprouting by using a shaped up blotting paper , which held the beans , inserted into a glass having water.

The other way was to soak the beans in water and then fold it up in a wet cotton cloth and leave it lying in a bowl.

So I asked him, how he know this- as he seemed to be an expert.  My father was a member of RSS in the pre-independence days.

He told me about the Indian Navy Mutiny in 1946,  when RSS has put road blocks in all major cities of India , to prevent British troop movement.  After this mutiny till India became independent RSS would hold massive shows of strength like mass drills , march pasts etc every day.  

They would march past the British bungalows in Calicut .  A lot of people in the group used to be ex-soldiers of World War 2 who were disbanded after the war.  This sort of weakened the British resolve to hold on to India.

The day started off with Suryanamaskar and ended with Kho Kho, before they dispersed for their daily jobs.  

It was compulsory for all RSS participants to eat sprouted whole Moong Dhal and drink lot of water , before they reached the maidan, for their daily show of strength.

How many of you know about this unsung Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946, when the British invaders literally sh@t in their pants. 

All of you think that Gandhi’s Ahimsa drove them away , right?

Punch into Google search THE INDIAN NAVY MUTINY OF 1946, THE ONLY WAR OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE VADAKAYIL.

If you wanna to know what Kho Kho is, just watch the video below.  It is tough on the lungs and the knees. It is a thinking game.  Dumbos will keep running, till the cows come home.

And if you wanna know what is Surya Namaskar, punch into Google search SURYA NAMSKAR THE 11000 YEAR OLD VEDIC SUN SALUTATION VADAKAYIL.

Since I posted it on 28^thOct 2011, this post has been downloaded more than 40, 000 times — which means people like it.

Let me narrate my father’s RSS method.

AAA ) Use only good quality seeds for sprouting.  Sit in bright day light , put your spectacles on if you need them, and eliminate every bean which looks suspicious or not upto the mark in looks. 

A single bad bean will contaminate a whole batch of sprouts,  so show no mercy. 

Clean and wash the moong beans .  This is to remove any pesticides. Make sure they are organic and not GM beans, which will give you cancer.

Soak it overnight or for 8 hours.  Make sure the beans are completely submerged in good quality non-chlorinated water , even when they get swollen with water ingress.  Don’t be stingy with water at this phase.

BBB ) On the second day-

Rinse the swollen beans well and drain the water.  Some would have even started sprouting. Drain the water completely by hanging off the beans in a thin white cotton cloth .

Now,  keep the cloth along with the moong beans in a vessel at room temperature.  Cover it with a light lid and leave it overnight undisturbed.  

Make sure the cloth is damp and care should be taken to ensure that there is no water stagnant in the vessel.

DDD ) On the third day--

You can see that the seeds have sprouted well. If you want longer sprouts, rinse and drain the beans through the cloth and keep it for another 6 hours.  

Again ensure that the cloth is damp and also there should be no stagnant water in the vessel , lest the sprouted  beans get rotten and slimy. 

It is good to place the spouted beans in direct sunlight to allow the UV light to kill any bacteria or fungus , before you start making a salad out of it.

It is easy to make sprouts in summer than winter.  The main factors for germination are water, air, heat , and darkness. 

There or no germination at all if any of these factors are not present such as insufficient water, or too much water, lack of sufficient heat, lack of fresh air, either too cold or too hot surroundings and too much light.  

Moong beans can be sprouted either in light or dark conditions. Those sprouted in the dark will be crisper in texture . Those sprouted in slight daylight light will have more nutritional content than those grown in absolute darkness.

If you are not going to use it immediately, it can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days, packed loosely . Do not consume after 3 days even if they look good as germinating seeds are fertile ground for harmful bacterial growth...

Sprouts are a cheap method of obtaining a potent concentration of protein, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Moong sprouts probably contain the largest amount of nutrients per unit of any food known.  

Eating sprouts is the safest and best way of getting the advantage of complete nutrition for it is LIVE organic food.  It is the safest and best way of getting the advantage of both fruits and vegetables without contamination and harmful insecticides.

Moong beans belong to the pea family , of the Indian Vigna radiate.  This native plant of India It has been cultivated and consumed as a sprout for more than 9000 years, when the rest of the world did NOT know the meaning of cultivation, and were clubbing down animals for food.

When the moong bean is sprouted, there is a tremendous increase in nutrients as compared to the dried embryo.  The vitamins, minerals and protein content substantially increase with a simultaneous decrease in caloric and carbohydrate content.  Pulses and seeds show a very low water content.  This, however, tends to increase tenfold when converted into sprouts.

Here is a scientific study about sprouts:-

Energy content - Kcalories        Decrease 15 percent

Total carbohydrate content        Decrease 15 percent

Protein availability                      Increase 30 percent

Calcium content                         Increase 34 percent

Potassium content                      Increase 80 percent

Sodium content                          Increase 690 percent

Iron content                               Increase 40 percent

Phosphorous content                  Increase 56 percent

Vitamin A content                       Increase 285 percent

Thiamine or Vitamin B1 content         Increase 208 percent

Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 content       Increase 515 percent

Niacin or Vitamin B3 content            Increase 256 percent

Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C content   An infinite increase

The reduction in carbohydrate content indicates molecules being broken down during sprouting to allow absorption of atmospheric nitrogen and re-formation of amino-acids.  The resultant protein is the most easily digestible of all proteins available in foods.

Sprouts supply food in a pre-digested form -- food, which has already been acted upon by enzymes and simplified.  

During sprouting, much of the starch is broken down into simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose.  

Proteins are converted into amino acids and amides.  

Fats and oils are converted into simpler fatty acids .  

Also, most important during sprouting there is a HUGE reduction in the gas producing quality of beans, reducing flatulence--and hence no farting.. This happens due to a massive reduction in content of oligosaccharides .

Sprouts contains both insoluble and water-soluble fiber.  Fiber scrubs your intestinal tract as it makes its way through your digestive system.  It fills you up, sating your appetite.  It is the best natural foods  to counter the acidity.

Water-soluble fiber reduces LDL cholesterol — the bad cholesterol — and reduces risk for cardiovascular disease.

Enzymes that initiate and control most chemical reactions in our body are activated in the sprouting process.  This helps convert proteins into amino acids and starch into glucose.  It drastically increases the value of vitamins.  

This live food rejuvenates body cells and tissues.  It retards the aging process. Sprouts are rich in fibre, protein, minerals, vitamins and enzymes, that’s why, it is a miracle food, as per Ayurveda.

They are the best foods for morbidly obese people with gargantuan bellies to lose weight. Moong spout is literally a living food, only thing is it does not crawl down into your stomach.. 

They are easily digestible, assimilated easily and provide quick energy. . Moong sprouts have a high protein content, and hence are quite popular among vegetarian athletes who don’t get the proteins of non-veg food.

Ladies who hair fall gives them depression, listen up.  Eat sprouted green gram everyday in the morning and within 3 weeks you will see that your hairfall has reduced like magic.

 Sprouted moong is  antioxidant, anti-bacterial,  anti-inflammatory, immune system protective, and anti-carcinogeic.

In 6000 year old Ayurveda , moong sprouts are termed as medicine because of its ability of preserving and promoting health.  I do hope as usual the West does NOT patent this rejuvenating medicine food , as they tried to do with Turmeric and Neem —and of course fell flat on their faces when India contested it..

Micro-nutrients in sprouts reduces the feeling of hungriness.  

Raw or uncooked sprouts has more benefits than cooked one.  If you suffer from digestive and bloating problems, have sprouts regularly .

Fibres fight constipation and improve digestion.  Sprouts contain EFAs, the essential fatty acids that fights infections and also boosts up immune system.

The green sprouts can are a good source of oxygen and this improves blood flow in the body. A cup of raw mung bean sprouts has just 31 calories. It contains contain abundant enzymes, protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

I eat my sprouts as a salad.  Raw sprouts+  plenty grated fresh coconut meat +  fresh lemon juice + salt to taste + black pepper + grated spring onions + grated fresh carrots + fresh coriander leaves

In the Indian chat Pani Puri sprouts are essential.  It consists of a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of spice water . 

Tamarind water , chatpat  tangy chutney, green chili, chaat masala,  mashed potato,  onion , Jeera waer, black rock salt , pudine, coriander leaves and sprouts.  It is small enough to fit completely into one's mouth.  It is a popular Kolkata dish and I had mine on Kidderpore draw bridge on the way to Dharamtalla by tram.  

Customers hold a small plate or bowl (katori) and stand around the vendors cart.  The server then starts making one panipuri at a time and gives one to each individual.  The vendor kept holding a filled up puri as soon as I swallowed the previous one . 

I thought it was part of the deal and had a bit too many, till my friend told me in mE ear, stop when I feel like, as the pricing is based on the count of puris I swallowed. 

Traditionally, panipuris are eaten by placing the entire puri into the mouth in one go and biting into it.  This releases a barrage of amazing tastes and exotic textures into all corners of the mouth and tongue . 

Grace and peace!

CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL
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