Did you know that you can sprout beans at home? Sprouting beans takes 2 to 3 days with a simple, hands free process.

Growing up in India, I saw my mom soaking a different bean almost every night. By morning, they would be wrapped in a white cloth, sitting in a colander in a warm dry spot. By evening or the following day, they would have magically grown into long sprouts. These crunchy sprouted beans or lentils were then used in cooking curries, dals, stir fry dishes and also added raw to salads in addition to us snacking on by the handfuls.

Lentils and Beans are the main plant based protein source in vegetarian diets as well as Indian Cuisine. In addition to being healthy, fiber and protein packed, they are inexpensive and have a long shelf life.

What

So what is sprouting? Sprouting is a process where the lentils, beans, seeds or even nuts are soaked in water for several hours and then allowed to germinate in a cool dry place for several days.

Why

Now let’s answer why to sprout beans. Although, beans and lentils AKA legumes can be cooked from the dry form, soaking and sprouting them enhances the nutritional value, making them richer in protein, folate and also making them easy to digest.

Tips

Before I explain how to sprout the beans, here are some of my tips and tricks, for perfect sprouts every time:

Make sure that the beans are not too old
Soak the beans in warm filtered water. Sometimes hard water prevents the beans from soaking properly and then they are harder to sprout
Cover the beans while soaking so the water stays warm for longer period
After the beans are soaked, make sure to drain out the water in a colander. Especially with Moth beans its important that the beans are not too wet when you tie them in the cheesecloth as they tend to get sticky with excess moisture
If you do not have a cheesecloth, any thin cotton cloth will work or wrap them in double lined paper towels
The cheesecloth with get brownish stains from the beans, so make sure to bleach the cloth after to keep it clean
Place the beans wrapped in the cheese cloth in a cool dry place. Excess humidity can cause the beans to get sticky. If you choose to use Instant Pot for sprouting, there is no need to put any water in the main pot. See my notes in the recipe card

My favorite beans to sprout are Math or Moth (Turkish gram), Mung (Green gram) and Masoor (Brown lentils). These dry beans are easily available in Indian grocery stores, although you can also buy them at whole foods or amazon.

How

And now lets get on to how to sprout the beans and lentils. It is very easy to sprout the beans at home, and although the whole process can take 2 to 3 days, most of the time is hands off as you wait for the beans to soak or sprout.

Here is how the beans are traditionally sprouted. In the photos I am using Mung beans as an example, but the same process works for other beans too!

Step 1: Rinse & Soak

Rinse the beans thoroughly with cold water and soak them overnight (10-12) hours in warm water (2-3 times the volume of the beans). During the soaking process the beans almost will double in size

Step 2: Drain

Drain out the water using a colander and then place the beans on a cheesecloth.

Step 3: Wrap & store in a cool dry place

Wrap the beans in a cheese cloth and store covered in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. I usually keep them in my oven and in winters keep the oven lights on for some warmth

In the summers beans will start to sprout in 12 hours and this is how they will look in the initial few hours

The longer you keep they will continue to grow. Usually within 24 hours they grow a good 1/4 to 1/2 inch long tail. In winters they may take up to 48 hours for the beans to sprout.

How to sprout beans using Instant Pot

You can also use the Instant Pot for sprouting. The Yogurt mode in the Instant Pot has the perfect temperature setting to help the beans sprout.

Tips for sprouting beans in an Instant Pot:

Place the beans in a colander or strainer to help drain out any excess moisture. You can also place the colander on the trivet inside the main pot, which allows any excess moisture to dry out and prevent the beans from getting sticky.
Since the Instant Pot does not come to pressure on the yogurt mode, you do not need to worry about the pressure valve being at sealing or venting.
Do not put any water in the main insert, which prevents the beans from getting sticky and sprout better.

Storing

Once sprouted beans can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in air tight container or zip lock bags. Raw sprouted mung beans are great for snacking or to add to salads.

Recipes

All three sprouted beans can be used to make curries that can be enjoyed with steamed rice or parathas. I especially love the Maharashtrian Misal Pav cooked with sprouted moth beans. Sprouted masoor is especially good in a khichdi or breakfast bowl. And if you haven’t already do try my mung bean salad where you can add either raw or lightly sautéed sprouts.

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