Couple of months back, a lovely friend had requested me to share a spring recipe for her online magazine. As much as thrilled and excited I was, it also got me thinking. There were loads of ideas popping in my mind! Torn between preparing something sweet or savory, I decided to settle with a salad.
The recipe should have simultaneously appeared here long time back but my tiny brain totally forgot about it! The other day, I was clearing some unwanted files from the laptop, these photos caught my attention and that's when I remembered.
The green chickpeas that I used were dried and required to be soaked overnight. Once that is done, it takes hardly any time to prepare the salad. I prefer to make it in advance and letting it rest for a while as it helps the flavors to blend nicely with the raw vegetables. Green chickpeas are easily available in any Indian store, but you could also substitute it with any beans of your choice. I had once replaced the chickpeas in the salad with couscous and that was equally delicious.
The dressing is pretty much like Indian raita; creamy, tangy and gives a refreshing mouth-feel. It is made with yogurt, roasted cumin, extra-virgin olive oil and refreshing mint.
We tried to pair the salad with baked fish on the side. It somehow worked as a great combination and eventually, became one of our favorite meals. Having said that, it also tastes great just on it's own. There is the crunchy bite from the green chickpeas, refreshing tangy kick from the yogurt dressing and sweetness from the vegetables.
Green Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried green chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)
- 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
- 1 yellow pepper (finely chopped to tiny bite size)
- 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes (chopped in half or quarters)
for the dressing
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup sour plain yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon aamchur (dry mango powder)
- salt
Instructions
- Heat a pan and dry roast the cumin seeds for a few seconds until they change color to a darker shade.
- Using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the roasted cumin seeds to a fine dust.
- In a food processor, add all the ingredients of the dressing and give it a mix.
- Take it out in a bowl, add the roasted cumin powder to it and mix properly again.
- Put the green chickpeas soaked with water in a microwave proof bowl and let it cook for 10 minutes at high temperature.
- In a salad bowl, add green chickpeas, chopped pepper, chopped cherry tomatoes and shallots.
- Pour the dressing and give it a good mix.
- Salad is ready!
Notes
If you are using canned chickpeas, you do not need to soak or cook them in the microwave.
Nutrition
Yadsia @ShopCookMake
I had never seen green chickpeas before. And I only saw black ones for the first time the other day at whole foods. So much to discover!
torviewtoronto and createwithmom
flavourful delicious salad looks wonderfully healthy
Debjani
It looks and sounds fabulous. Mint and cumin in yogurt dressing!
You know, I never thought about green chickpeas before. Never cooked with it. You got me thinking. We have a yellow chickpea salad recipe in the family but I just might start adding amchur to it now.
kale
Couscous would be good but I like that you went with chickpeas. So filling and yummy!
Grishma @ZaikaZabardast
lovely clicks!!!! and such refreshing salad.
Baker Street
Green chickpea salad never looked so pretty! The shot of mint is just stunning. Looks great, K!
Sydney @ The Crepes
That mint is absolutely gorgeous! I hope I see some that looks half as healthy in my neighborhood this summer.
Ameena
Your pictures are amazing! Love this dish...it's perfect for summer.
Kitchen Belleicious
so beautiful and bright and colorful! i love that you used green chickpeas. I love when something so amazing is also so healthy for you!
Sihi
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Sihi
Eha
What a beautiful salad! For once the two sides of this Gemini: being a foodie but also a nutritionist, have absolutely no arguments one with the other. Whichever lentils or beans one used, the dish would be scrumptious and SO healthy! Thanks Kankana!
Tes
Your chickpea salad is so beautiful, and yum, it's packed with flavors 🙂
Rosa
What a beautiful salad! Lovely colors and flavors. Very summery.
Cheers,
Rosa
Deeps @ Naughty Curry
such a nice fresh looking salad..
nisha
i recently did a chickpea salad n was pleasantly surprised at how much i liked it. i have never seen green chickpeas..interesting!
Maureen
This is the most beautiful salad!! I love it.
Nandita
The salad looks awesome Kankana. Just loved the dressing. I do not have the hara chana on hand. I guess I will have to try this with the kaala chana 😉
Spandana
Looks so colorful and bright! Beautiful pictures!
Raji
Salad looks really wonderful..I love green chick peas, mostly make it in form of south Indian sundal, but would love to have it dressed this way.
Reema
Perfect for hot weather like Chennai,feeling and sumptuous...:)