Brussel Sprouts

I was reading back on my previous posts the other day and felt the compelling need to cook , and subsequently post, some healthy recipes . So,I was pretty resolute on my last shopping trip and decided to cook some Brussel Sprouts for dinner. Though I felt proud of myself picking up that bag of tiny cabbagey- looking-veggie , I had no idea what-so-ever what I was going to do with it. So I decided to do some groundwork before dishing it up .
As it turns out , the tiny cabbagey-looking-veggie is indeed a variety of cabbage. The prefix "Brussel" was given to it probably because it was cultivated initially in Brussels , now Belgium. They thrive in less than tropical temperatures and probably that's why we don't find them in the Indian market. They are very rich in antioxidants, folic acid and dietary fiber.
The easiest way to include these in you diet is to probably make a salad ; steaming it and then seasoning with salt & pepper. However, I was in a mood to eat some comfort food that day...and needless to say , to a Keralite comfort food has to include rice. That ruled out steamed-sprouts-delight and I was left with two options: a thoran* or a mezhukkupuratti**. Since it is a variety of cabbage and I love Cabbage thoran the final decision was Brussel Sprouts Thoran.
While cooking the sprouts the only thing to keep in mind is not to over-cook them; about 5 minutes of cooking should be enough. When overcooked it tends to be foul smelling due to the presence of an organic compound , which incidentally, is the same compound that lends it the high-nutrient quality. This is how I made the thoran :

Prep time :15 min
Cooking time :10 min
Ready in :25 min

Ingedients:

• 1 lb Brussel Sprouts
  
• 1/4 tsp turmeric pwd (optional)
• Salt to taste
  

• 2 tbs grated coconut ( fresh or frozen)
• 2-3 pearl onions
  
• 1 green chilly ( I used a Thai chilly)
• 1 stalk of curry leaves

• 1 dried red chilly
  
• 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
  
• 1 tbs olive oil

You will also need:

• 1 medium skillet
  

Procedure:

• Wash the Sprouts and slit them in half, running the knife from top to bottom. Cut each half , lengthwise into thin pieces.
• Coarsely grind together the coconut, onions, green chilly and curry leaves.
  
• Set the skillet in medium heat. Add the oil and once it starts smoking add the mustard seeds.Wait for them to pop , and then add the red chilly .
  
• Toss in the Sprouts ; add the salt& turmeric powder; keep covered and let it cook in the steam for about 5 min.
• Remove the lid , add the ground coconut mixture and toss with a spatula. Keep covered for another minute .
  
• Remove the lid and check to see if the seasonings are right. Toss lightly with a spatula and remove from heat.

Note : The nutrition information provided below is for 1 serving.











*Thoran : From Keralite cuisine , a dry vegetable side dish with coconut .The vegetables are steamed/ cooked with salt, turmeric powder & chilly powder (optional) and then a coarsely ground mixture of coconut & pearl onions is added. Finally, seasoned with oil,mustard seeds , curry leaves & dry red chilly.
** Mezhukkupuratti: From Keralite cuisine , a dry vegetable side dish. The vegetables are steamed/ cooked in turmeric, red chilly pwd (optional) and salt and then pan fried with sparse oil.