Another protein-rich, healthy and nutritious side to rice and chapatis / phulkas, this green moong sprouts and paneer bhurji is incredibly tasty, but really easy to throw together. This recipe was a result of a ‘clean out the fridge’ kinda day for me. I had a little bit of leftover paneer, and some fresh mung sprouts that I really didn’t want to waste. I started off thinking of making a paneer bhurji, but later on added the sprouts. Trust me, it will turn out delicious! I had it with phulkas , with a squeeze of fresh lemon on top. Yum-max!
Ingredients:
- Green moong/mung sprouts – 1/2 cup
- Paneer – 100 gms, crumbled by hand, or grated
- Green chillies – 3, finely chopped
- Ginger – 1 inch piece (washed, peeled and finely chopped)
- Garlic – 4 to 5 medium pods (washed, peeled and finely chopped)
- Onion – 1 small, chopped
- Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- Oil – 2 to 3 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar – 1/4 tsp
- Coriander – finely chopped, for garnish
Method:
- In a vessel, take your sprouts and pour just enough water to cover it. Cook in a pressure cooker for one or two whistles. Allow cooker to cool naturally.
- Drain the moong sprouts and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pan. Once hot, add jeera seeds and sauté for a second.
- Add onions, green chillies, garlic and ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, and the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone.
- Add your finely chopped tomato, turmeric and red chili powder. Add salt and sugar as well. Saute for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes break down slightly and become mushy.
- Add your mung sprouts at this stage and sauté well for about a minute, just enough for the sprouts to absorb the flavors.
- Add the crumbled/grated paneer and sauté well. Since paneer is a type of cheese, it will get melty and break down, although not completely. This is will add a creamy texture to your curry.
- At this point, you can add the finely chopped coriander, mix well and switch off the stove.
- Just before serving, squeeze some lemon juice into the gravy.
TIPS & TWEAKS:
- Adding lemon juice is optional. I always add because it will aid digestion and also help mitigate some of the gassiness (is that even a legit word? 😀 ) that arises on consumption of moong sprouts.
- This curry is semi-dry. You could add some fresh cream or milk just before adding the coriander, if you want a more gravy style bhurji.
This is a nice variation on the regular Paneer Bhurji and makes a fantastic breakfast or dinner side as it is light but nutrient-dense. I ate this curry and loved it, although I am not a big fan of sprouts. Do try it and comment below!
a burst of flavor 