The Lazy Judge

I mean, the busy judge

When the jugalbandits invite you over to be a judge at their prestigious food photography event called 'Click', you can proudly get the feeling of having truly arrived. Whether that is on the scene of blogging or photography. However, in the company of some really amazing photographers, all I felt was humbled. I cannot even hold a candle to these greats.

Now, from what I have seen around 'Click', there is a tradition of 'Judges' Entries', and these usually play tough with some of the best entries in the ring. Well folks, it is time for an exception. As you can see, my photo cannot be particularly held to those standards. As it never rains but pours, I had been swamped with things to do for most of the month of May, and I am using a picture which I had taken a while back.



Crunchy sauteed sprouted matki beans

My entry is called 'crunchy sauteed sprouted matki beans', for lack of a better title. This is a little different from the usual 'usaL', and was made regularly at home as a simple side dish and it is quite wonderful on its own as a healthy snack too. You can do this with either matki (also called moth) or moong sprouts, and it is as flexible as it gets. I use about 2 tablespoons onion for 1 cup sprouts, but the onion is optional. One can also add a few curry leaves in the oil.

In a little oil, add a pinch of mustard seeds and turmeric, and saute a little thinly sliced onion until it starts to soften and change color. Add the sprouts, and let these cook on a high heat for a few minutes until they are crunchy and cooked. Stir only occasionally, and add a few drops of water if they start to stick to the pan. Add salt to taste, and a little chili powder. You can also add a masala of your choice. A current favorite is 'usal masala' that is a little redolent of the East Indian bottle masala. Since it is has red chilies added to it, I skip the red chili powder when using it.

Look forward to all your entries for 'Click: Beans and Lentils'.