O.K. Everybody, just ten more days to Nowruz! Have you started your sabzeh yet? This is it! If you get started now, you can have it in time for the celebration.
Of all the symbols of a new beginning set up on a Nowruz spread, this one is the most frequently remembered when we think about Haft Seen. I thought I would share the way to do this for those who are lost on what to do! I have roughly translated the instructions from here.
You will need:
One cup of lentils, or
One cup of dried wheat
Water
A bowl
A platter
A clean cloth
A household water spray
For Growing Lentils:
1. Put the lentils in a bowl and completely cover them with water. Within the first 24 hours, the lentils will absorb all the water, swelling up. Many of them will also break open to reveal the inside of the grain. Don’t be alarmed! You’re doing fine!
2. After 24 hours, transfer the lentils into a nice platter and cover them well with your cloth, which you have thoroughly soaked in water. The trick to this stage is to make sure the cloth covering the lentils is moist at all times, ensuring humidity inside the platter. The lentils will need this humidity to grow, especially as there is no soil involved in their growth. You may have to moisten the cloth several times per day. If the cloth dries up, the growth will stop in the platter and the lentils will dry up, too, turning brown. Sunshine will help the growth. If you live in an area where sunshine is scarce these days, try putting your platter under fluorescent lights.
For Growing Wheat:
Follow the same steps, except when you move the soaked wheat grains into the platter, make sure they are covered with the moist towel both under and over the wheat grains. Wheat requires a lot more moisture to grow than lentils, so make sure the cloth is moist at all times.
3. After your lentils (wheat grains) have sprouted, you can remove the cloth and start providing moisture for the platter through a simple water spray. Within ten to fourteen days, you should have a full platter of green stems.
4. As you set your Nowruz spread, put a nice ribbon around your sabzeh and make a bow.
The pictures in the link could provide visual aid to what to expect.
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
