Chickpea stir fried with coconut chips

 Chickpea stir fried with coconut chips

Chickpea (also known as garbanzo beans) is readily available
everywhere. It can be bought canned or dried. The advantage of
canned chickpea is that it is easy to cook. Dried chickpea takes a long time to cook. A pressure cooker will make it easier to cook it.

It is commonly found in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine.
Chickpea is used in soups, stews and salads. It is also added to
boiled vegetables and meats. It is famous for hummus and falafel.
Hamburgers and cutlets can be made with chickpeas.

Chickpea flour is used to make pancakes, thicken gravy and curry and as batter for coating to fry vegetables, meat and seafood.

In India and Sri Lanka, street vendors sell boiled chickpeas wrapped in newspaper in the railway stations and on streets.

Chickpea is a nutritious food item with many health benefits. It
provides protein for vegetarians. 

With high fiber content and low glycemic index, it is good for weight watchers.

 It is a good source of iron and manganese. 

Soluble fibre in chickpea stabilizes blood sugar levels.

It can reduce LDL and total cholesterol. 

Saponins in chickpea can lower the risk of breast cancer in women.

Nutritional value of chickpea in USDA database is here.

Here is a simple recipe for boiled chickpea to be taken as a snack or
even as a meal.

                                      Recipe summary
                                                For
                    Chickpea stir fried with coconut chips

Preparation time: 10 minutes (Boiled or canned chick peas)
Cooking time:10 minutes

Serves: 4

1.Soak 200 grams chickpea overnight.

2. In a large sauce pan add enough water, salt and  bring to boil.  Simmer and cook till it is soft and strain it. You can use canned chickpea.

3.In a medium sized pan (I used a wok), heat 2 table spoon  oil. Reduce the heat to low. 

Stir fried Chickpea with coconut chips

4. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds  and  1 dried chili cut into small pieces. After the mustard seeds splutter, 



5.Add 80 grams chopped onion and 10  curry leaves chopped. Stir occasionally. Fry for 10 minutes or till the onion pieces become translucent.

Coconut chips

6. Add the boiled chickpea and  and 1/2 coconut kernel chopped into very small pieces - as shown in the picture (or 50 grams of shredded coconut)coconut chips and stir for five minutes. you can add 1/2 tsp lime juice (optional)
          
 Chickpea stir fried with coconut chips is ready.

                  Recipe follows in detail with pictures.



Preparation time: 10 minutes (Boiled or canned chick peas)
Cooking time:10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main
200 grams cooked chickpeas
Others
80 grams onion
1 dried chili
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1/2 lime, juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 table spoon vegetable oil
1/2 coconut kernel chopped into very small pieces - as shown in the picture (or 50 grams of shredded coconut)

Coconut chips

Street vendors would add a pinch of chili powder also. I do not normally do it.

Method
In a medium sized pan (I used a wok), heat the oil. Reduce the heat to low.
Add mustard seeds and dry chili. After the mustard seeds splutter,
add onion and curry leaves. Stir occasionally. Fry for 10 minutes or
till the onion pieces become translucent. It does not matter if the chili is blackened. We are using it for the aroma and not for the heat. You can discard it before eating.

Add the cooked chickpeas and salt. Stir well. Fry for five minutes.
Take it off the heat.

                                  Coconut and chips 

Onion

Onion

It is commonly believed that onions provide relief in common cold, asthma, bacterial infections, respiratory problems, angina, cough, chronic asthma, and allergic bronchitis. Onion has also been associated with treatment of immune system, heart ailments, diabetes, cancer, earache, stomach aches, urinary disorders etc.

Onions provide a good source of polyphenol and flavonoid polyphenols. Among the flavonoids, onions provide quercetin. A wide variety of allyl sulfides are found in onion. A wide variety of sulfoxides are also found in onion. Onions are a very good source of biotin, manganese, vitamin B6, copper, vitamin C, dietary fiber, phosphorus, potassium, folate, and vitamin B1.

You can use onion to clean the BBQ and grill. You can also clean a burnt wok or sauce pan with onion. Onion can be used to deodorize the refrigerator or a newly painted room. It will soothe a bee sting. You can rub it as a mosquito repellent. People have used it to clean rusty knives. Some use it to remove warts and acnes.

You can peel onion without shedding tears if you chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before peeling. It also helps to keep the onion submerged in the water while peeling.

There are many varieties onions – white, red, yellow, shallots, pearl onions, spring onion, scallion etc. They impart different tastes and are used in different ways to get the full use of them in flavoring the food.

Scallions are one of the most versatile form of onion. They are long and thin. They go well with any type of dish. They are used cooked or raw. They impart good aroma in raw form.

Spring onions are very much like scallions and are used to substitute each other. They are very mild in flavor, but a little pungent in raw form.

Yellow onions are slightly sweet and are widely used in soups and stews. They give out a wonderful flavor and aroma when caramelized.

White onions are sweeter in flavor. They are available throughout the year and are most widely used. They are favored in salads, sandwiches and pizzas.

Yellow onion

Red onions are more flavorful than other onions. They are good for eating raw and in pickles and sauces. They are smaller in size and they cost more.

Shallots are the real onions. They are packed with flavors and are indispensable in Asian cuisine. It takes a lot of patience to peel them.

Shallots

Shallots

Leeks are like scallions. The leaves are hard and fibrous. They are not suitable for eating raw. When sauteed in a little oil they impart the onion flavor. They are favored for soups, stews and stir-fries.

Onions can be stored in a cool dry place for several days. Moisture and humidity spoil the onion. It is not necessary to refrigerate onion. If you store the onion in a refrigerator, you must use it as soon as you take it out of the fridge. After refrigeration if you leave it in room temperature it will spoil quickly.

There is onion in every home in the world.  It is mostly used as a seasoning. Onion sauteed in oil will enhance the taste of any dish. Onion goes well with almost all kinds of food ingredients.

Easy noodles for convalescent and elderly

Easy noodles for convalescent and elderly

Those who are recuperating from long term illness need to take food that can digest easily. Elderly too need such diet. This recipe is good for such people. It is also very easy to prepare. Idea is to choose ingredients that are easily digestible and nutritious add spices that help in the digestion.

The vegetables were chosen for thier nutrition values and ease of digestion.

Carrots are rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.

Carrot

Green beans are rich in lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin.

Beans 

Sweet corn has many Antioxidant Phytonutrients such as nthocyanins, beta-carotene, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, lutein, syringic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid

and zeaxanthin. It is rich in fiber which helps in digestion and in regulating the bowel movement. It also provides energy that would help the patients who are weak.

Sweet corn 

Cabbage is a good source of phytonutrients such as thiocyanates, lutein, zeaxanthin, isothiocyanates, and sulforaphane, which stimulate detoxifying enzymes. It is rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and fiber. It also provides iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium for strong bones, and potassium for regulating the heart rate and blood pressure.

Cabbage 

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium and vitamin C.

                                  Recipe summary
                                            For
                 Easy noodles for convalescent and elderly

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

1.Cut 100 grams  carrots, 100 grams snap green beans, 100 grams sweet corn and 100 grams cabbage and 100 grams spinach.until they are cut into very fine pieces. I processed in a food processor.

Easy noodles for convalescent
 and elderly 

2. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a wok and add 100 grams onion, chopped coarsely onion and 15 grams green chili. Fry for about 5 minutes or till the onions are translucent.

3.Add carrots and continue to stir-fry for 5 minutes. 

4. Add spinach,  9 grams garlic and 5 grams ginger, 1/2 teaspoon  and fry for 3 minutes.

Ingredients

5.Add 240 grams  boiled noodles and mix well. 

6.Add cabbage, snap green beans and sweet corn and continue to fry for 5 minutes. 

7. Add the seasoning found in the packet of maggi mee.

Easy noodles for convalescent and elderly is ready.

                     Recipe follows in detail with picture.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main

240 grams noodles
Others

100 grams carrots

100 grams snap green beans

100 grams sweet corn

100 grams cabbage

100 grams spinach.

100 grams onion, chopped coarsely

15 grams green chili, sliced into fine pieces.

5 grams ginger

9 grams garlic

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Spices
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Seasoning powder that came with the noodles.

Ginger has excellent digestive capabilities. But I have limited it to the minimum because of its blood thinning properties and because in bigger quantities it may irritate a weak stomach.

Preparation

I processed the main vegetables carrots, snap green beans, sweet corn and cabbage in a food processor until they are cut into very fine pieces. Processing in this manner makes the vegetables easily digestible. I removed all the stems from the spinach and took only the leaves. Spinach is easily digestible and therefore it does not need to be sliced.

Onion and green chili

In a medium sized pan bring 1 liter of water to the boil. When the water comes to the boil add the noodles, reduced the heat to medium and boil for 3 minutes. After three minutes switch off the heat and let the noodles stand in the pan for 1 minute. Drain the water using a colander and let the noodles drip dry in the colander.

Method

In a large pan or a wok heat the oil and when the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and green chili. Fry for about 5 minutes or till the onions are translucent.

Frying Onion and  chili

Add carrots and continue to stir-fry for 5minutes. Add cabbage, snap green beans and sweet corn and continue to fry for 5 minutes. 

As I processed the vegetables in the processor and microwaved it.
So the cooking time was less.

Ingredients for Easy noodles for convalescent and elderly

Micro waved vegetables

Adding vegetables to onion mixture

If the frying pan is very dry add 1/2 cup of water and continue.Add spinach, garlic and ginger and fry for 3 minutes.

Add the boiled noodles and mix well.

Noodles

Boiling noodles

Add the salt, pepper, seasoning powder found inside the noodle packet and optionally a teaspoon of soy sauce or fish sauce.

You can add eggs too to be more nutritious.

Easy noodles for convalescent and elderly

Taste for seasoning and adjust. Take the noodles off the heat. The noodles is ready.

Nutrition data for this recipe

Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.”
 Click the button below to view the nutrition data. Click again to close it.

Easy noodles for covalescentd and elderly
Nutrient	Value	Unit
Water	571.4	g
Energy	1,317.3	kcal
Protein	46.3	g
Total lipid (fat)	27.0	g
Carbohydrate, by difference	231.3	g
Fiber, total dietary	23.3	g
Sugars, total	24.5	g
Calcium, Ca	342.8	mg
Iron, Fe	10.3	mg
Magnesium, Mg	324.1	mg
Phosphorus, P	868.4	mg
Potassium, K	2,381.9	mg
Sodium, Na	1,213.8	mg
Zinc, Zn	6.6	mg
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	136.4	mg
Thiamin	1.0	mg
Riboflavin	0.7	mg
Niacin	9.8	mg
Vitamin B-6	1.5	mg
Folate, DFE	428.0	µg
Vitamin B-12	0.7	µg
Vitamin A, RAE	1,393.9	µg
Vitamin A, IU	27,205.9	IU
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	10.1	mg
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	0.7	µg
Vitamin D	26.4	IU
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	593.1	µg
Fatty acids, total saturated	4.7	g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	6.2	g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	13.4	g
Cholesterol	201.6	mg
Caffeine	0.0	mg
Fatty acids, total trans	0.1	g
Ash	10.5	g
Copper, Cu	1.1	mg
Manganese, Mn	4.1	mg
Selenium, Se	193.7	µg
Folate, total	428.0	µg
Folic acid	0.0	µg
Folate, food	428.0	µg
Retinol	40.8	µg