Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Garbanzo-Coconut-Vegetable salad with sizzling Mustard seeds

Indian chopped salads are called cachumbar. Cachumbars are nothing but chopped fresh vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and carrots with added spices and lime juice. Salads with added protein (in this case garbanzo/chickpeas) can serve as a supporting side dish to a main meal or as a light meal all by itself as I prefer. In this salad, mustard seeds are sizzled in hot oil and then added to the salad mix for added flavor as well as crunch. Garbanzo beans adds fiber and protein to the salad, whereas freshly grated coconut brings a textural component to the dish. The end result is healthy and flavorful dish to indulge in,  guilt-free.





This recipe was features in my last Entertaining blog post. Some people have contacted me for the recipe. Here you go guys! Enjoy!

Chickpea-Coconut-Vegetable Salad with Sizzling Mustard Seeds.

Serves 6

  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 Asian or Armenian cucumbers, chopped
  • One-15ounce can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3/4 cup coarsely grated fresh coconut
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 dry whole rec chilies such as chile de arbol
  • 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans and grated coconut in a bowl. Heat oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add dry chilies. When chilies are turning dark, add mustard seeds and cover until spluttering subsides. Remove from the heat and pour it over the vegetable mixture along with lime juice and salt. Gently toss to combine. Season to taste. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Cook's note: Whole red chilies are added to flavor the dish and are not meant to be eaten.

For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes), please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.

 

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3 comments:

  1. Sounds sooooooooo good. Thanks for the recipe. Thanks so much for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

    ReplyDelete