Also Known as
Sprouted Field Beans

Description
Sprouted Vaal has a robust flavour that complements a wide variety of dishes. You will find them in various shapes and sizes, ranging from creamish flat long beans, broad hard beans to off white oval shaped dal.

To sprout them, take dry Vaal beans. Soak Vaal in plenty of warm water overnight (8-12 hours): they will swell up. Drain and place in a colander, covered with damp cheesecloth. In 36-48 hours, the Vaal will sprout Peel the sprouts by placing them in warm water; the peel should pop right off. Discard any beans that are discolored. Peel if desired.

How to Select
It is available prepackaged in the grocery as well as vegetable section. If purchasing in a packaged container, check to see if there is a "use-by" date on the package. Make sure that the sprouted Vaal is covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure its maximal freshness.

But Make sure you use the sprouts soon after buying. Don't keep them for long hours, they might taste sour. Go for firm sprouts which are green and yellow in color not the limp ones. Avoid the ones that are turning brown.

Culinary Uses
· On cooking, sprouted Vaal acquires a strong, nutty aroma and the taste becomes creamy with a slight, but not unpleasant bitterness.
· Sprouted Val goes well with coconut, jaggery and ginger.
· You can add the sprouted Vaal beans to soups and salads.
· The sprouted beans can be fried, causing the skin to split open, and then salted and/or spiced to produce a savory crunchy snack.
· An interesting combination of rice and sprouted field beans (called Surti Vaal Dal in Gujarat) makes a meal by itself packed with nutrition.
· Sprouted Field Beans Pulao
· A Popular, Easy to Make Maharashtrian Dish. The Combination of jaggery and kokum gives a Sweet and Tangy Taste to The Usal. Serve This Usal With Hot Palak Aur Chawal ki Roti
· Sprouted Vaal have excellent flavor, can be eaten raw in forms in salads or between sandwiches.
· You can even treat bean sprouts as a snack item that can be eaten at any time of day.

How to Store
It can be stored indefinitely in an airtight container in a cool, dry location. Cooked sprouted Vaal should be stored in the refrigerator and can be used for up to 3 or 4 days.

Health Benefits
· Sprouted Val beans have excellent dietary significance.
· Sprouts are nutritious.
· They have a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, nitrosamines, trace minerals, bioflavonoid and chemo-protectants such as sulphoraphane and isoflavone which work against toxins, resist cell mutation and invigorate the body's immune system than at any other point in the plant's life even when compared with the mature vegetable.
· They are rich in protein as well as vitamin A, the vitamin B complex, vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as various minerals and enzymes.
· They are very good to protect against cancer, fatigue and the immune system.
· Highly recommended Being loaded with nutrients like protein and fibre which aid digestion and help prevent dreadful diseases like diabetes and heart disease, it is one ingredient that needs to be in the limelight
· Beans also appear to have a blood sugar normalizing effect, and may be of benefit to diabetics.
· Lastly, beans make you feel full, and consumption of them may be of benefit in an individual weight loss program.