Monday, 30 July 2012

Chick pea & carrot salad




Anecdote

Rupa and Sandeep invited us to their beautiful new home. The décor and theme was a lovely white, quite like the quintessentially white, Simi Garewal. Every room and corner was simple and tasteful. With this couple, time spent is always high on qualities like family bonding, easy banter and shared stories about growing boys.

Aayush was 2 years old when he would go knocking at their door for a place in their dinner table. He spoke rather late, but sign language got him his way every evening. The ever caring Rupa, with her easy affectionate smile had most of her dinners on a stool while his highness ate his chocos with the family around the table.

One evening, we enjoyed an equally tasteful vegetarian meal. This salad was the winner of the meal. I borrowed the recipe while I was attacking my plate.

Stuff that you must have:

1 cup boiled chick peas
1 large carrot cleaned and grated
Half a handful of raisins
1 tea spoons mustard seeds
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
2 sprigs of curry leaves, chopped

What to do:


In a non-stick pan take 2 tea spoons of oil. Once heated, throw in the mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves while the seeds are sputtering. Add the chick peas. Stir and toss with some salt to taste. Sprinkle the lime juice. In about 2 minutes, add the fresh grated carrot. Stir fry for another minute. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.

How to serve:

On the side of any grill or as a salad with Indian food.

Trivia:

Chickpeas alias garbanzo beans are not always beige in colour. They also come in black, green, red and brown. They give you energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar. The botanical name for chick peas is Cicer arietinum having being derived from Aries (the Ram) referring to the unique shape of the seed that resembles a ram’s head.

A German writer in 1793 mentioned that ground roast chickpeas were the best substitute for coffee in Europe and are still used as such in several parts of the world.

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