Indian-Spiced Brussels Sprouts

Sprouts – you are having a bit of a moment, as far as a cruciferous vegetable can be said to ever have a moment. For years it’s been ‘Kale, that’ and ‘Kale this’ but now its (very) little cousin is taking the time to shine.

What are the signs? No January-blues superfood salad would be complete without ‘shaved’ Brussels sprouts, while Mum and I have accidentally each separately come up with new Brussels recipes to post this week. You KNOW you’ve really made it into the big time when the Hemsley+Hemsley girls are posting about you on their Instagram account. In terms of health benefits, sprouts are as powerful as the rest of their family – full of vitamins C and K, and loads of fibre, and super-yummy, if handled right.

There will still be some detractors, those who are used to boiled-to-death Christmas sprouts, all mushy and sulphurous. Win them round with a new take on sprouts, like this Indian-spiced sautéed dish. Pound-coin-thick slices are tumbled in masala and spices, all gorgeous and aromatic, until they’re just heated through, to retain their bite and freshness.

Move over kale, there’s a new kid on the patch.

Indian-Spiced Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients
half an onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced or grated
1 fresh chilli, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp fenugreek (optional)
500g Brussels sprouts, ends chopped off and sliced into pound-coin thick slices.
2 tbsp raisins, dried cranberries or sultanas
2 tbsp flaked or desiccated coconut
1 tsp coconut oil

Method
1. Fry your onion, garlic, ginger and chilli in the vegetable oil for 6-8 minutes, until the onions are translucent and browning.

2. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and heat for about 90 seconds until the mustard sees start to pop.

3. Add your turmeric, garam masala and fenugreek, if using and give a really good stir to coat all the oniony mixture in spices. Add a little splash of water, as it’ll be getting pretty hot by now.

4. Add your Brussels sprouts, raisins and flaked/desiccated coconut and sauté, stirring for about 4 minutes, until the sprouts are heated through but still retain their bite. At the last minute, stir in your coconut oil, allow to melt through and serve warm. Otherwise, allow to cool and serve at room temperature as a salad.