Chickpeas Stir-fry — Spicy Kabuli Chana — Vella Kadala Upperi

It’s a sunny day. A Sunday. Weekday in Qatar, weekend for most of the world. There’s nothing like a sunny day and good food to chase away the winter blues, don’t you agree? But the thing is I don’t feel like much activity today. I just want to have some quite time, go back to bed, pull up the sheets, and rest my eyes and my thoughts. Ah, a lazy Sunday.

 

So here I am with a simple recipe. Simple it is, at the same time nourishing and delicious too. Yes! Whenever life is simply too busy, or I’m simply too lazy, and yet looking for a healthy and flavorful meal option, making a chickpea stir-fry becomes a great choice. Armed with a tin of chickpeas, it really works like a charm.

Chickpea, also know as garbanzo bean, is rich in proteins, dietary fiber and antioxidant nutrients. Besides, it is low fat and highly filling, so possibly your best bet for weight management. You know, using canned beans is as good as cooking with dried beans. Oh yeah. Canning does not damage the key nutrients—man, makes life so much easier! The dried beans require a long cooking time so it is in fact a smart choice to use canned beans.

Chickpeas was brought to India by the Portuguese explorers and now, India is the largest producer of this legume, followed by Pakistan. When I was a young girl, I loved to munch on crispy roasted beans. I also liked having puttu and kadala (steamed ground rice with chickpeas) for breakfast. These days I’m big on hummus and falafel.

 

This recipe is so versatile: you can serve it as an appetizer to kick off your dinner party, a side dish to accompany a bowl of rice or bread, or use it as a healthy and filling snack when you are famished.


Chickpeas Stir-fry — Spicy Kabuli Chana — Vella Kadala Upperi

Ingredients

400g canned chickpeas (I usually use California Garden)

1 ½ tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 teaspoon dry red chili flakes

½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

½ cup onion, quartered and finely sliced

10 curry leaves

Salt, to taste

For garnishing

Squeeze of lemon

Few sprigs cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoon onion, chopped

Directions

Remove beans from can, place in a strainer and rinse to remove any additives; drain.

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick pan, over medium-low heat. Add mustard seeds and cook until they crackle, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chili flakes, curry leaves, and chili powder. Toss for 10 seconds, and then add onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft. Now tip in the drained chickpeas, mix well, and simmer for 3 minutes. Season. Serve hot with a bowl of steamed rice.

Topped with a sprinkle of chopped onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, this makes a nourishing and delicious appetizer or snack.

I hope you like it.