Curried Chickpeas - Delightful

A flurry of social media net-working is leaving me completely drained. A constant ache to blog, tweet,pin,update status on FB leads to a buzz of activities and the same is showing strain on the senses. The best worst part is even my dreams are not sparred. Lots of visionary (??) cooking ideas and blogging topics find fertile grounds during sleep time :P  It has a telling effect on my fight to be fit ! The good news is I am leaving the laptop alone and the crippling power cut which otherwise gets me all worked up is giving the much needed break to take it easy. 

So has the syndrome affected you yet ?

FB/Pin/Tweet/Blog is fine as long as you don't get overwhelmed by the pressure to continuously stay in the lime-light :DAlso it's ok to every once in a while leave the virtual world for real and detox your inner-self and thereby find peace:)


Speaking of the finer things in life, today's dish has one of them - Chickpeas ; the versatile legume can be cooked & eaten in a multitude of ways.High in protein content and dietary fibre, the delightful chickpea gets a curried makeover.

Savour as a snack or enjoy with rice and flat-bread, the dish is sure to delight you. Chole masala, the spice-mix available in stores adds pep and zing to the dish.

Ingredients (Prep Time : 20 mins , Cooking time : 15 mins , Serves :4) Adjust Spice to your taste

• Chickpeas – 250 grams (soaked for a few hours and pressure cooked/if using canned, drained and rinsed)
• Onion – 2 large- finely chopped
• tomato – 2 medium – chopped
• Garlic – 10 to 12 large pods – chopped
• Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Chole Masala – 1 to 2 tsp (store bought)
• Salt – to taste
• Pepper Powder – 1 tbsp – to taste
• Coriander leaves – as required – for garnish
• Oil – 1 tbsp. Mustard & urad Dal -1 tsp each

Method:-


In a wok, let the oil warm up & the mustard seeds, urad dal crackle and sizzle.
Tip in the garlic and as its aroma wafts the hearth,dunk the chopped onions and saute till translucent.Spice the onions with salt,asafoetida,turmeric powder, red chilli powder and the chole powder.Give the contents a good mix and simmer adding a little water if the mix becomes too dry.


Once the raw smell of the spices evaporates, dump the chopped tomatoes and cook till they become mushy.Finally add the drained chickpeas along with the freshly ground pepper powder. Mix well and let it be on flame for a few minutes .


Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/chapati/indian flat bread. It’s a good accompaniment to rice too !

E.N.J.O.Y