Microgreens (Micro Keerai) — Harvested to Order

Microgreens (Micro Keerai) — tender young greens cut the morning they reach you — sunflower, radish, mustard, pea shoot, beetroot and broccoli. Think of them as micro keerai: the same familiar Tamil flavours, concentrated into a garnish you add raw at the table.

Key Benefits

• Exceptional nutrient concentration per gram — peer-reviewed USDA research across 25 varieties found 4 to 40 times higher vitamin and carotenoid concentrations in microgreens than in the mature vegetables they come from.
• A natural source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E and carotenoids — vitamin C contributes to normal immune function, and vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting.
• Brassica microgreens naturally contain glucosinolates — broccoli, radish and mustard varieties carry the precursors of sulforaphane, plant compounds widely studied for antioxidant activity.
• Eaten raw, so nothing is lost to cooking — heat-sensitive vitamin C and folate stay intact, unlike in boiled or sauteed greens.
• Very low in calories, no fat, no sodium — colour, crunch and flavour without adding much energy.
• Harvested to order and delivered hyperlocal within Chennai — hours, not days, from cut to plate.

Nutritional Information (typical range per 100 g fresh)

Microgreens are 90–95% water and values vary by species and seed lot, so we publish honest ranges rather than a fixed panel. A realistic serving is 10–25 g — a small handful, not a bowl. Reference: Xiao et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2012.

How to Use — Add Raw, Off the Heat

• Mustard and radish microgreens give the same pungent kick as kadugu — sprinkle over curd rice, upma, adai or dosa after cooking
• Methi microgreens taste like a concentrated vendhaya keerai
• Amaranth microgreens are a mini thandu keerai — familiar colour and flavour
• Float over rasam, sambar or soup at the table — never cook them in
• On uttapam, sandwiches, wraps, chaat and dosa rolls
• Pea shoots and sunflower shoots in salads and raita
• Broccoli microgreens folded into curd or hummus

Storage Instructions

• Do not wash before storing. Moisture is what spoils microgreens. Wash only just before eating.
• Refrigerate at 2–5°C in a lidded, lightly ventilated box lined with dry kitchen paper.
• Pea shoots keep 14–21 days; broccoli, cabbage and radish 10–14 days; sunflower, mustard and amaranth 7–10 days.
• In Chennai's heat, unrefrigerated microgreens are same-day only. Refrigerate on arrival.
• Keep away from bananas, mangoes and apples — their ethylene accelerates yellowing.

Certifications & Compliance

• FSSAI licensed food business — licence number displayed in our website footer.
• Grown without synthetic pesticides. Seed sourcing, irrigation water and hygiene are managed under documented SOPs.
• Grown year-round on a 7–14 day indoor cycle, so availability does not depend on season.
• Certification status for soil-less growing is available on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are microgreens the same as sprouts?
No. Sprouts are germinated seeds eaten whole including the root, grown in water over 2–4 days. Microgreens are grown in a medium with light for 7–14 days and harvested by cutting the stem above the medium — you eat only the stem and first leaves. Microgreens have a much better food-safety profile.

How long will they last?
Refrigerate on arrival. Unwashed, in a lidded box with dry kitchen paper at 2–5°C, most varieties keep 7–14 days and pea shoots up to three weeks. In Chennai's heat, do not leave them out.

Should I cook them?
No. Add them raw at the end, after the heat is off — over rasam, curd rice, dosa, upma or salad. Cooking wilts them and destroys the vitamin C that makes them worth eating.

Is a small handful really enough to matter?
Yes. USDA research found microgreens carry 4 to 40 times the vitamin and carotenoid concentration of the mature vegetable. They are a concentrated garnish, not a bulk vegetable.