Samanu

Method

1. Rinse 100 g of wheat berries in several changes of cold water, then cover generously with cold water and leave to soak for 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse again.
2. Line a shallow tray with damp muslin and spread the drained wheat over it in a single layer. Cover with a second damp cloth and keep in a dark, draught-free corner at room temperature for 3-4 days, sprinkling with water and rinsing the grain morning and evening so it never dries out. The wheat is ready when the pale shoots are 2-3 cm long and the grains have knitted into a mat with a sweet, grassy smell.
3. Chop the sprouted mat coarsely with a knife, shoots and all, and put half into a blender with half of the 500 ml of water. Blend for 1 minute, then tip into a muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl and squeeze the pulp dry. Return the pulp to the blender with the remaining water, blend, strain and squeeze again, so you finish with about 450 ml of sweet, milky wheat juice. Discard the spent bran.