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