Lentil sprouts tikki

This post is a special post for me. This is Mother’s day special and i am bringing to the table a fun and healthy interpretation of my and my mother’s most beloved food – Indian Street food Tikkis. Tikkis can be called as the “Indian Hash browns” and they are crispy, fried and totally delicious ! This time, i am making it in a different way with a very healthy and superfood ingredient, Mung Sprouts 🙂

This recipe is part of recipes with a cause for Diabetes Friendly Thursday.

Creating Recipes with a Cause!

I am a proud DFT blogger. To learn about DFT, read this link. To view more DFT recipes, Click here! The Proud DFT Team brings Mother’s Day Special this time. How fun is that? Many of us are bringing Chaat or Indian Street Food from our mother’s delectable palate. Who says that Diabetics have to eat “No-Fun” food? Binge in and and Indulge. But hey…remember!! Portion Control is the key!

When Sonal told us about this theme, i was so excited to make something fun and interesting. This post is coming at the right time as my parents are visiting us these days and i am all geared up to cook up a storm with my mom. My mom is a terrific cook and i have to give all the credits to her for instilling in me, the passion for food. For Mother’s special, i wanted to make for her, her favorite dish – Tikkis. Since tikkis have a poor reputation for being fried, it had to be made healthier to fit in the DFT menu. Just as i sat down thinking of ideas for the tikki, my mom asked me what i wanted to make from the mung sprouts that i had made earlier in the morning and VOILA … I found my inspiration !! This tikki dish is perfect for the evening snacks and you can enjoy this guilt free with the whole family 🙂 What can be better to enjoy Mother’s day than a healthy , delicious plate of homemade tikkis!

Lets learn how to make these tikkis with the recipe provided below. To learn about benefits of the main ingredients of this recipe, please refer to the “Foot Notes”.

Lentil sprouts tikki

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
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Ingredients

2 cups mung lentil sprouted
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoon mung bean flour
1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp dry mango powder
2 tsp oil for tikkis and pan frying

Stuffing

1/2 cup Tofu/Paneer, crumbled
Salt to taste
1 inch ginger, grated
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Method

Begin with preparing the stuffing for the tikkis. For this, we will take 1 tsp of oil and heat it. Add in cumin seeds to it and let it splutter.
Now add in the grated ginger to it and roast it a little. Add in the crumbled paneer or tofu and mix well. Add salt as required. The stuffing is ready. Let the stuffing cool down and then divide the stuffing into 8 balls.
Now, We will form the base of the sprouts tikkis. For this, coarsely grind the sprouts using very little water. Remove the grounded sprouts paste in a bowl. To this, add in chopped onion, chilies, coriander and spices and mix well. This mixture will be thin at the moment and would not form the tikkis.
To this mixture, slowly add in the mung bean flour and mix well till the mixture is able to come together in the form of a ball.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Take one portion at form into a ball. Now, flatten this ball a bit by putting a dent into the tikki with your thumb.
Place a stuffing ball inside it and gently cover it with the sprouts mixture to form the tikki with the stuffing inside the tikki. Repeat this with all the formations and form the tikkis.
Refrigerate all the tikkis for about 15-20 minutes in the freezer. This step helps in firming up the tikkis well so that they stay together when pan frying.
Take a skillet/non stick tawa and to it, add 1 tsp oil. Now, place the tikkis and pan fry them till crispy and golden brown on both sides. Nutritious and healthy Lentil sprout tikkis are ready.

Recommended Serving size : 2 tikkis per person

Garnishing : Serve with seasoned yogurt/ greek yogurt and coriander chutney (optional)

Now, let us discuss the benefits of the main ingredients of this dish:

Mung Sprouts – Gluten free, High protein, Vegan. Just 1/4 cup of mung bean flour packs a powerful 13 g of protein, 9g of fiber, 30 g of carbs, 180 calories, 3 g of sugar, and zero fat. Not only this, it is high in iron, folate, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium. Although it is higher in calories and carbs than grain flours, mung beans are considered a low glycemic food (38) WOW ! and making sprouts out of them increases their goodness many folds. Each 1-cup serving of mung bean sprouts provides 13.7 milligrams of vitamin C and 34.3 micrograms of vitamin K. This makes up 15 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C intake for men and 18 percent for women, as well as 38 percent and 27 percent of the recommended daily vitamin K intakes for women and men, respectively.
Tofu – Taste isn’t the only reason both vegetarians and omnivores stock up on tofu. Because it’s a complete protein, soy makes an excellent substitute for meat and fish. Not only that, but compared with animal sources of protein, soy is lower in saturated fat and is cholesterol free. About 3 ounces of firm tofu has 70 calories, 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbohydrate, and 7 grams of protein. Varieties that are processed with calcium sulfate are a good source of calcium. Soy also contains B vitamins and isoflavones, plant-derived compounds with properties that can lower cholesterol.
Coriander – In some parts of Europe, cilantro has been referred to as an “anti-diabetic” plant because its seeds have hypoglycemic effects. This herb is an excellent source of iron, phytonutrients and flavonoids. It protects the body against urinary tract infections, prevents nausea, lowers blood sugar levels and aids in digestion. It is also known to purify blood.

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

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