Recipe: Chickpea and Cilantro Salad

Recipe Source: Batmanglij, Najmieh.  Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey.  Mage Publishers, Washington DC, 2004 p. 68

Chickpeas are kind of like the little black dress of the culinary world.  I can't think of a flavor they don't match well with, although I've never tried them with chocolate.  They manage to match all sorts of flavors without being bland themselves.  The beans themselves are so versatile that they can be used in dishes from appetizer to dessert.  They pack a protein wallop, making them particularly convenient for vegetarians, but they also provide carbohydrates for energy. 

This salad is one that I've been wanting to make for a while.  I skipped the optional greens, mostly because I wanted to use the greens later in the week.  I had to use powdered spices, and instead of one large tomato I substituted a handful of smaller tomatoes that I halved.  I finally just went ahead and used a whole bunch of cilantro, because if I had bothered to chop it finely enough I'm sure I'd have gotten it down to half a cup eventually. 

Chickpea and Cilantro Salad (serves 4; approx. $1.70/serving)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon asafetida

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons minced jarred garlic

2 tablespoons minced jarred ginger

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/3 package Campari tomatoes, halved

1 28-oz can good quality chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Equipment:

• Large wok or saute pan with a lid

1. Heat the oil in the wok.
2. Add the cumin and asafetida and cook 5 - 10 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the onion and garlic.  Saute until the onions are soft. 
4. Add the remaining ingredients through the chickpeas.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Comments

[Daily Spud]

Ah, chickpeas are a winner every time. I just love them and that sounds like a great salad - I'd love some right now :)

[elra]

very delicious indeed. Healthy and delicious.
Cheers,
Elra

[Avesta]

I love chickpeas in salads...this looks great!

[veggiebelly]

wow! this sounds amazing. youve used all my favorite flavors - asafoetida, cumin, cilantro. thanks for mentioning the cookbook, think ill buy it :)

[The Duo Dishes]

This sounds good. Probably still great chilled or room temp!

[Fearless Kitchen]

Duo - I hadn't really thought of that, but thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep it in mind for next summer's event season!

Veggiebelly - this is one of my favorite cookbooks ever. I have to restrain myself from using it too often and turning this into an all-Batmanglij blog! :)

Elra - thanks! It is pretty healthy.

Avesta - Thanks! I love chickpeas in almost any form, really. They're one of my favorite ingredients and I've almost always got a few tins stashed around the house for emergencies.

Spud - I'd be happy to send it, but I don't think it would taste as good by the time it got through customs :)

[Mercina]

My mom eats chickpeas at least once a week, I'm definitely going to pass on this recipe to her. Thanks for sharing!

[Raaga]

I have got to try this very soon. Have a lot of coriander in the fridge :-)

And your earlier post about feeding... holds good for my family as well... only way to show you care is to place food in front of the other person... continuously. :-)