An easy and incredibly healthy recipe for Sprouted Bean Dosa with brown rice and greens blended right into the batter for an extra health boost.
All this summer, I've been into sprouts. So much so that every time I bring out a jar of beans and a cup measure, Desi rolls his eyes and says, "More? What about these?" He's pointing at two colanders already sitting on the kitchen platform, containing sprouts in various stages of germination.
To which I sagely respond, "You're eating that one tonight, darling. And that one's for tomorrow. And these," -- here, with a flourish, I pour out the beans, rattling and rolling, into the bowl I am planning to soak them in -- "are for another day."
At this point he throws in the towel and goes back to doing whatever he was doing, like rearranging the dishwasher all over again after I've already done it. Because Desi knows by now that no one -- and I mean no one -- comes between me and my sprouts.
So what is it about sprouts that has gotten me to this stage of near-obsession? Well, what's not to love about food that is, quite simply, perfect? I have waxed on this blog before about sprouted beans in this sprouted moong chilla recipe post, so all I will say this time is that if you're not sprouting, you are pretty much missing out on an easy -- and even fun -- way to make an already healthy food even healthier. And more delicious, if that's even possible.
Besides, sprouts are easy to incorporate into any healthy diet, vegan or not. If you are a healthy eater, you no doubt already consume a good amount of beans which are high in protein and fiber. Sprouting beans makes them even more easily digestible, and results in astronomic increases in their vitamin content, especially their B vitamin content, and you can use the sprouted beans in any recipe, just like you would the unsprouted beans. Want to give your Chana Masala some extra zip? Sprout the garbanzo beans. In the mood for a simple mung bean salad? Mung beans are among the easiest beans to sprout, and they're easily available too. Or, do as I did and sprout some beans to use them in an easy -- but fabulous -- dosa.
My Sprouted Bean Brown Rice Dosa came about as a last-minute experiment. And-- get this-- I sprouted the brown rice too and added a bunch of methi leaves to the batter. Methi is one of the healthiest greens you can eat and with all this goodness inside my belly, I am pretty sure I was walking around with a halo around my head all day. In fact, if you have kids who detest their greens, this is a great way to get some inside them. Trust me, they'll never know-- although they might want to know how you made the dosas look so pretty and green.
Sprouting brown rice, if you haven't done it before, is very much like sprouting beans-- soak the rice overnight, strain in a colander, wash, and leave it sitting in the colander, covered with cheesecloth, for 2-3 days until tiny sprouts appear. How long it takes depends on your climate (warmer is better) and you do need to do some minimal maintenance: rinse the rice, or beans, twice a day, morning and night.
Easy, right? Now make this recipe for Sprouted Bean Brown Rice Dosa.
More dosa recipes to try:
Sprouted Bean Dosa
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (sprouted. if you'd rather not sprout, just soak the rice overnight)
- 1 cup navy beans (sprouted)
- ½ teaspoon paprika (or cayenne)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 cups methi leaves (use another green like spinach or even kale, if you'd rather)
- Salt to taste
- Oil for spraying on griddle
For serving
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, adding enough water to make a smooth batter, with a consistency that falls right between a crepe batter and a pancake batter.
- Heat a non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron griddle.
- When the griddle is hot enough that a drop of water skitters off and evaporates immediately, pour the batter (about ½ cup) in the center of the griddle, using a round-bottomed ladle.
- Using the bottom of the ladle, start spreading the dosa, moving from the center and outward in a spiraling motion. You want a fairly thin crepe. Don't worry too much if you mess it up before you get it right. No one mastered a dosa the first time they made it. No one.
- If you wish, spray some oil on the dosa and its sides. This is not absolutely essential if you're using a non-stick pan, but it's advisable if you want crispy edges.
- Let the dosa cook until the underside is golden-brown. Flip over and cook for a few seconds.
Diana
Hello! This looks so good. Can u used cooked brown rice instead of soaking and using raw brown rice? Had some leftover and was hoping to use it up this way. Thank you!
Vaishali
Cooked brown rice would be too starchy for a dosa. If you're looking for ways to use it up, try smushing it up with some beans or lentils and some spices and making veggie burgers instead.
nutmeggrater
Is this batter fermented like regular (non-sprouted) dosa batter? The instructions don't say anything about waiting for fermentation, so I was wondering if you need to let the batter stand for a while before frying the dosas? Do sprouted grains and beans ferment the same as non-sprouted ones? Do these dosas have that same sour taste that I love so much about regular dosas?
Vaishali Honawar
It's not fermented, but you can let it stand overnight if you want it to.
Manish
Wonderfull...!!! Such a beautiful looking dosa. It looks yummy and delicious. Recipe is absolutely fantastic. LOVED IT completely.
Thanks!!
East Meets West Veg
You've convinced me. I'm getting ready to sprout some beans right now. It's been a while since I've done it so thanks for the reminder!
The Vegan Scholar
This looks delicious! I've never heard of 'dosa' before, but it looks fantastic, so I'll definitely give it a try 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Chessie
Dosas with good stuff inside are among the most delicious things on the planet. 🙂
Sheela
Hello Vaishali,
Stopped by to drop a quick line to you. Tried Quinoa lentil sale for friday night dinner with some pitta bread on the side.
The salad turned out so delicious almost tastes like Mujadara served in Lebanese eatery that we visit every now and then.
Have you tried Zatar spice?
Green chickpea sprouts coupled with your innovative recipe, can't wait to see your next post.
About the regime to stick to healthy diet, with less time to work out regularly and the growing guilt made me shift gears. so altered my daily cooking to little more conscious healthy recipes. I don't eat too much of junk food having said that, i love sweets. So a major control of that category has been slightly tough...So to compensate cravings, i cook more of protein and fiber rich foods which keeps me satisfied for longer time 🙂
Also, a major cut down on rice based recipes on weekdays.
Will be back soon!
Sheela
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Sheela, so glad you tried the salad! It does taste like Mujadara, with the cumin. And thanks for sharing your plan-- sounds like you have a great routine and good self-control. Wish I was a little more disciplined. I don't eat much junk but it's almost impossible for me to stick with resolutions that require me to eat less! 🙂
Sheela
Hello Vaishali,
Hope all is well!
I can't wait to try the listed recipe. I have been eating pretty healthy on a consistent basis for about 8 months now 🙂 Yeah, yeah!! So your virtual kitchen is where I land most of the times for inspiration.
Love sprouts and so far never experimented beyond Vaal and moong.
Will keep you posted!
Thanks for sharing!
A big hug
Sheels
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Sheela, nice to "see" you again. And kudos to you for sticking with a healthy diet-- glad the blog has been helpful. Yes, sprouting all kinds of beans is rather fun-- I hope you will try it. I just put some green chickpeas to soak, and wondering what to do with them when they sprout. 🙂 Can't wait.
Hugs to you.
Ashwini
This is such a wonderful recipe, loved it. Can you tell me how do you sprout brown rice? I am kinda curious how you do that and would like to try it out...
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Ashwini, use the exact same method you use for sprouting the beans. Soak the rice overnight, strain in a colander, cover with a cheesecloth or light kitchen towel, and let it stand for as many days as it takes to sprout (it will take longer in cool weather). You need to rinse the rice twice a day, morning and night, and make sure all the water drains out each time.
Gita Jaishankar
Love all your healthy recipes...this one looks very good, love the color and the filling!
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Gita. 🙂
Chessie
I adore dosas, and these sound really good. I'm living proof that one doesn't master making dosas quickly. Mine always come out very uneven, instead of a nice round shape. Maybe I just need more yummy practice!
I have only seen methi leaves in frozen form. Are they ever available fresh?
Thanks for yet another luscious recipe!
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Catherine, dosas are indeed hard to master-- it took me forever, even after I had seen some really good cooks in my family making them. Practice is definitely key and one secret, I think, is to just go at them without fear and make bold, confident strokes while spreading them. And to ensure that the batter is the right consistency. If it doesn't spread easily, chances are the batter is too thick. In that case, just add water, a little at a time.
Fresh methi leaves can be found at nearly any Indian store, but you can definitely use frozen in this recipe. Just thaw it before blending.
Cheers! 🙂
Deb @ Saving the Crumbs
I have tried sprouting alfalfa since I figured it was easiest, but it was always a flop. For some reason, it always started rotting even when I was very consistent with rinsing it. Any ideas what I was doing wrong? I'm so excited about the thought of sprouting brown rice! We eat brown rice almost exclusively so this will be a unique change. Can you only use it by blending it into things? What is it a good replacement for in cooking? Flour?
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Deb, I've never tried sprouting alfalfa, but here are a couple of guesses: were you straining the alfalfa and leaving it in a colander? Leaving the grains or beans in a jar usually ends up with the grains rotting on me before they sprout. And rinse only twice a day, morning and evening, and again, make sure they stay in the colander. Also keep your beans in a dark place. And you can use sprouted brown rice just like you'd use regular-- you can even just cook it up as you would regular rice. Cheers.