Recipe: Chef Sabya's Salty-Sweet Brussels Sprouts

Celebrate National Nutrition Month with a bursting-with-nutrients recipe that needs a short 30 minutes to put together.

Chef Sabyasachi Gorai's Salty-Sweet Brussels Sprouts are rich in vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, proteins and fibre.

Had with multi-grain or ragi bread, it's a great recovery meal for those who are trying to lose weight post the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.

Chef Gorai, a recipient of a medal from the President for best chef, has a following among celebrities including the Bachchans -- 'The only person's food I like apart from my mother's cooking is Chef Saby's' is Abhishek Bachchan's verdict.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 400 gm brussels sprouts, available with certain vegetable vendors
• 100 gm walnuts, chopped
• 1 medium whole pomegranate
• 1 sweet potato
• Salt to taste
• Dash black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Strands of parsley, for garnish

Method

• Cut off the sliver of the hardest base of each brussels sprout.
  Discard hardest or wilted leaves surrounding each sprout.
  Cut the larger brussels sprouts in half.
  Smaller ones can remain whole.
  The pieces --be they whole or halves -- should all be roughly similar in size.
• Cut the pomegranate in half and place one half, face down, on the palm of your hand.
  Put a bowl under and with the back of a tbsp, hit the pomegranate to release the arils or little pods into the bowl in a very simple way.
  Repeat for the second half.
• Peel and cut the sweet potato into small cubes.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan.
  Add the chopped brussels sprouts, cubed sweet potato, a little salt, black pepper.
  Cook for a few minutes, flipping over the pieces so it does not burn.
  When the vegetables are soft, add the pomegranate and the walnuts.
  Mix well.
  Take off heat.
  Garnish with the parsley and serve warm with multi-grain bread or quinoa or brown rice.

Editor's Note: For a Jain preparation, substitute the sweet potato with one green banana cubed.

For those not minding their calories: Serve sprinkled with a little cheese.

For a little spice: Drizzle a little Tabasco.

These sauteed vegetables pair well with a breast of roast chicken. Try Tasneem Kachchhi and Sumaiya Kachchhi's Spicy Roast Chicken.

Chef Sabyasachi Gorai is a consultant chef and mentor.

• AWESOME RECIPES