Did you know that chickpeas are basically chana dal with their skin removed? And that they are loaded with health-giving nutrients?
In fact, they are probably your best friend these lockdown days.
Why?
Firstly they are loaded with fibre, which helps fill us up with less and curbs that urge to snack effectively.
Secondly, they are packed with antioxidants - vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene (that gets converted to vitamin A in the body), and have loads of elusive mineral manganese too. All these help keep our immunity up.
So having a cup of cooked chickpeas in some form at least thrice every week is a brilliant idea.
Try these recipes to add a twist to your ho-hum menu:
Quick Vegetable Curry
Cook 250 gm mixed vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, beans, carrots and cherry tomatoes and cook in a little oil in a pan till tender crisp. Add 1 cup boiled chickpeas and spices like salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala to taste. Cover and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning if required. Remove from heat; stir in coriander leaves.
Lebanese Salad
Mash 1 cup leftover chole (or boiled and cooled chickpeas) with 1 potato with salt to taste and make miniature tikkis. Pan-fry till golden in 1 tbsp oil. Add matchsticks of 1/2 carrot, 1/2 radish and 1 beetroot, a splash of vinegar and dig in.
Hummus
Soak 1 cup of chickpeas for 4-5 hours and then pressure cook for 2-3 whistles (till they become soft enough to grind in a mixer/grinder). Cool and grind them with 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4th cup sesame seeds and salt to taste. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp olive oil, mix and eat with veggies sticks or slather on crackers and have.
Lemon Chickpeas Pasta Soup
Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil, add diced 1/2 onion, 1 carrot, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes till the vegetables get cooked.
Add pepper and salt to taste and 3 cups water and boil. Now add 1/2 cup boiled chickpeas, 1/4th cup pasta and 1 bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes till the pasta gets cooked. Then add a few leaves of chopped spinach (and 50 gas shredded chicken, optional) and finally stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice after switching off the gas.
Skinny Chickpea Salad
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, crushed red pepper and salt to taste, 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 cup boiled chickpeas, cover and allow them to marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Add any leafy green on hand (lettuce, baby spinach, cabbage…) and a handful of steamed French beans. And 1 diced cucumber. Mix and enjoy!
Roasted Chickpeas
Blot 30 gm cooked chickpeas dry and toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, oregano, and salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until browned and crunchy, 25 to 30 minutes at 400 F. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Dalia With Chickpeas
Make a paste of 2 red chillies, 3 cloves garlic, 1⁄2tbsp roasted coriander seeds, 1⁄2tbsp roasted cumin seeds and salt to taste and shake in a jar with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp olive oil and keep aside. Cook 1 cup dalia (or couscous) and mix in 1 cup boiled chickpeas and 1 each chopped tomato and onion, 1/2 chopped cucumber and the ready spices paste.
(Kavita is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don't Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People (Jaico) and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks: 50 Kickass Traditional Habits for a Fitter You (Rupa))
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