Mung Bean Sprouts Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Mung bean sprouts are very healthy and very quick to make in warm weather as they sprout very easily. I sprout a cup of dried beans every other week and use it in different recipes. My favorites being salads, raita and crepes.This salad combines roasted sweet potatoes or jewel yams with some smoky cumin, a hint of spice from the dried chili flakes, crisp fried ginger, a dash of citrus and some fresh coriander leaves to accentuate that citrus note. We ate it as a first course but could very well be  a lunch bowl in itself.

Mung Bean Sprouts Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 cup chopped)
1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon peeled and slivered fresh ginger
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the cubed sweet potato with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin powder, chili flakes and salt. Spread them out evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the middle rack of a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes flipping them in between so that the sweet potatoes are soft and golden.
2. Heat a small pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and fry the ginger slivers till they are golden.
3. Toss the roasted sweet potatoes with the sprouted mung beans, fried ginger and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Finally add the chopped cilantro leaves and toss lightly.

Serves 2 as a first course.

Note; Wiki How shows you how to sprout mung beans step by step. However, in step 6, I drain and leave the moist beans in the soaking dish covered with cling wrap in a warm place for 12 to 18 hours depending on how much you want the beans sprouted. This method works well for me.