Spicy chickpea, potato and carrot stir-fry

Spicy chickpea, potato and carrot stir-fry

This is an unusual combination of chickpea, potato and carrot in a quick and easy vegetarian stir-fry. This is a spicy and dry stir-fry.

                                    Recipe summary
                                               For
                  Spicy chickpea, potato and carrot stir-fry

Preparation time: 30 minutes (with cooked chickpea)
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves:4

Preparation
1. Boil 200 grams  potatoes and peel them.  Then cut them into bite size cubes – roughly ½ to ¾ inch size.  Set them aside.

2. I am using 150 grams dried chickpea. Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight or at least 8 hours. Boil them loosely covered till they are soft. It takes time. If you are using canned chickpea, it is not necessary to cook them ahead. You can add straight away to the stir-fry.

Spicy chickpea, potato 
and carrot stir-fry

3.Scrape 80 grams carrot and cut into thin pieces and boil in little water till it is cooked. I microwaved in high for two minutes covered with two table spoon water without salt.

4. Soak 10 grams tamarind pulp it in ¼ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Massage and squeeze the pulp. Strain the liquid, discarding any solids. First you add only about ½ to ¾ of the juice. Add the balance after tasting and if necessary

Method
5. In a large frying pan or a wok heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add 1 coarsely chopped onion, and fry for 7 minutes in low heat. Keep stirring occasionally.

6. Add ¼  tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp  fennel seeds and fry for 1/2 minute. Add 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic, 1 thinly sliced green chil, 1 thinly sliced red chilii and 5 grams shredded ginger.  Reduce the heat to low and fry for 3 minutes.

Ingredients

7. Add 1 tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp salt and 3/4  cup water and cover. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes, Stir to mix the ingredients well.

8. Now add the cooked carrot, chick pea and potato and stir and cook  for 2 minutes. 

9. Add 1 tsp broken chili and stir well and cook for a minute.

10. Add garam masala and tamarind juice and stir. If the mixture is too dry add 1/2 cup of water.

11. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your taste. The dish will be dry and there will be no gravy. 


12. The stir-fry is ready. It goes well with many kinds of breads such as chapatti and tortilla and also rice. If is good to make sandwich too.

 Spicy chickpea, potato and carrot stir-fry is ready.
                                  

                            
                  Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (with cooked chickpea)
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves:4

Ingredients
Main
200 grams potato
150 grams chickpea (whole)
80 grams carrot
Others
1 onion chopped coarsely
3 cloves garlic sliced thinly
5 grams shredded ginger
1 green chili sliced thinly
1 red chili sliced thinly
10 grams tamarind – juice extracted
3 tablespoon vegetable oil of your choice
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon broken chilli
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon garam masala powder (optional)

Ingredients for  Spicy chickpea, potato and carrot stir-fry

Preparation

We need to boil the potatoes. There are two ways of boiling the potatoes – boil it in a saucepan or cook it in a microwave oven. There is not much difference in the taste. Cooking in a microwave oven is much faster.

To cook the potato in a microwave oven scrub and wash potato. Using a fork slightly prick all over the skin. This is to let the air escape from the potato as it becomes hot.  Place the potatoes in a bowl and add 2 table spoon of water and cover the bowl with a lid. Microwave the potatoes for two minutes on high.
Turn the potatoes over and cook for another two minutes. By now the potatoes should be cooked well and be soft. The cooking time of potatoes varies depending on the type of potatoes. If it is cooked well a fork will pass through it easily.  If it is not soft, then cook for another minute.

To boil the potatoes without a microwave oven wash the potatoes well and put them into a saucepan and add water to cover them. Boil covered for about 45 minutes in medium heat. The time taken will vary according to the type of the potatoes. Some varieties boil very fast and others take longer time.  A fork will easily go into a well boiled potato.

Let the potatoes cool. Then peel them and cut them into bite size cubes – roughly ½ to ¾ inch size.  Set them aside.

I am using dried chickpea which is much cheaper than the canned chickpea. We also need to precook the chickpeas. Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight or at least 8 hours. I always cook them in the conventional way. Throw away the soaked water and wash the chickpea again. Put them in a medium sized sauce pan. Add adequate water to cover the peas at least 3 times the peas.Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil loosely covered as it will spill over for two hours. when the pea is nearly cooked add salt and let it simmer for the salt to be absorbed. Chickpeas should be cooked till they are soft. You will be able to crush a pea between two fingers. You can taste one pea. If not done add more boiling water. Drain and set the peas aside. You can cook the previous day and keep in the refrigerator. I always have small packets of chickpea in the freezer to be eaten as a snack. If you are using canned chickpea, it is not necessary to cook them ahead. You can add straight away to the stir-fry.
Scrape the carrot and cut into thin pieces and boil in little water till it is cooked. I microwaved in high for two minutes covered with two table spoon water without salt.
Soak 10 grams tamarind pulp in ¼ cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Massage and squeeze the pulp. Strain the liquid, discarding any solids. First you add only about ½ to ¾ of the juice. Add the balance after tasting and if necessary.
Cut other vegetables as stated in the ingredients list.

Method

In a large frying pan or a wok heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add onion and fry for 7 minutes in low heat. Keep stirring occasionally.

Add cumin, fennel seeds,fry for 1/2 minute add garlic, sliced red and green chili, ginger.  Reduce the heat to low and fry for 3 minutes.

Onion, dry chili,garlic, ginger,curry leaves,

Add chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and 3/4  cup water and cover. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir to mix ingredients well.

Now add the cooked carrot, chick pea and potato and stir and cook for 2 minutes. (If you want the carrot to be crunchy you can skip the boiling and add before adding the chili powder and bring to boil.)

Cooked chick pea ,carrot and potato added

Add the broken chili and cook for a minute.

Add garam masala and tamarind juice and stir. If the mixture is too dry add 1/2 cup of water.

Garam masala and tamarind juice added

Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your taste. The dish will be dry and there will be no gravy.

The stir-fry is ready. It goes well with many kinds of breads such as chapatti and tortilla and also rice. If is good to make sandwich too.

Final stage