Stir-Fried Sprouted Lentils with Broccoli and Chicken

1. Rinse and pick over the lentils in a strainer under running water. Put them in a quart-size jar and cover with 3 inches water. Top the jar with several layers of cheesecloth and securely tie with twine so that when you turn the jar upside down the water can drain out later. (You can also use a small strainer or secure a piece of mesh across the top.) Set the jar upright in a dark place and let soak at room temperature until the beans are swollen with absorbed water, about 8 hours.
2. Rinse and drain the beans two times through the cover, then position the jar upside down at an angle in a dark place to allow air to circulate and excess moisture to drain. (You’ll need to prop it against something. We angled the jar into a raised colander set over a shallow bowl, which works out well whether you top the jar with cheesecloth, a strainer, or mesh.)
3. The idea is to keep the lentils moist without drowning them. Rinse and drain the beans as described in Step 3 twice or more times a day until they sprout and the sprouts grow to the length you prefer, usually 1/2 to 1 inch. (Our brown lentils started breaking open after about 24 hours in ambient temperature of 67°F. It took 4 days to get them to about 1 inch.) 
4. When they’re ready, rinse the sprouts one last time in a colander and drain them well. You should have about 3 cups. Transfer the sprouts to a covered container lined with clean towels to absorb any remaining moisture. (If you put them in the sun for several hours, they will develop little green leaves. Rinse them again and drain before refrigerating as described here.) Sprouts will keep this way for several days.
5. When you’re ready to cook the stir-fry, get everything rinsed and prepped before starting; things will move quickly. Prepare the rice or noodles for serving. Peel, trim, and thinly slice or chop the onion, ginger, and garlic. Trim the chiles, seed them if you like, and thinly slice or mince. Trim the hard stems from the broccoli and slice the florets into slices no more than 1/2-inch thick.
6. Put the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and when the oil is hot, add the whole thighs to the pan. Cook undisturbed until they brown and release easily, adjusting the heat so they sizzle without burning, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook the other side the same way until they’re firm and you no longer see any pink inside, another 5 minutes or so. (Use a small sharp knife to peek inside.) Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and remove the skillet from the heat but don’t rinse it.
7. While the chicken cooks, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar if you’re using it into a small bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup water to make a cooking sauce. Slice the chicken lengthwise or cut it into bite-size chunks.
8. Return the skillet to medium heat and add a little more vegetable oil if there isn’t a thin film of fat in the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and chile and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan; transfer the vegetables to a plate. Add the broccoli to the skillet and toss until glossy, less than a minute. Add the sauce and bring to a boil.
9. Cook, stirring frequently until the broccoli turns bright green and just begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan, add sprouts, and stir until the sauce thickens and the stir-fry is hot. Taste and add a little more salt if you’d like and lots of black pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature with the rice or rice noodles.

— Recipe developed by The Bittman Project for Bob’s Red Mill