Chickpea Avocado Salad

This recipe is my new favorite. The flavors of spiced up chickpeas and avocado are great! This chickpea and avocado spreadable salad is great on its own as a side or can be spread on toast for a great breakfast or lunch sandwich.  A hint of lemon juice enhances the flavor or do not leave that out.

I made this chickpeas avocado spreadable for my daughter last week. She used it on her toast for breakfast. It is a great alternative to egg salad or avocado toast. It is nutrient rich and keeps you satiated for a long time. That makes it a perfect recipe for breakfast. It is not messy and travels well so it can be used for school lunches as well. It is best kept refrigerated.

You will need
1/2 cup dry chickpeas or 1 can of garbanzo beans
1 avocado
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder (increase quantity to taste)
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt and pepper

Soak the dry chickpeas overnight and cook them in a pressure cooker the next day. I usually cook them in the instant pot for 17 minutes on the manual setting. Alternately, you can use canned peas. Rinse and drain the water.

Mash the chickpeas with a fork. Make sure you leave a few chunks.

Wash and rinse the avocado. Cut it into half, remove the seed and the peel. Dice finely.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas No Oil (#WFPB)

Healthy nutritious snack options are always on my list of recipes to try. Spicy roasted chickpeas were on my list for a long time. I finally got a chance to post the recipe today. I keep this recipe simple for a spicy tart taste. You can increase the amount of spice or use your favorite spice mix for the flavors you love.

The question I get asked a lot is can you bake without oil? The trick to baking without oil is to keep the temperature lower than the recipes with oil. This prevents the food from burning up. If I were to use oil I would roast these peas at 400 F. Without oil 375 or even 350 F will suffice. Keep them longer to get them dry and crunchy.

You will need
1/2 cup dry chickpeas or 1 can of garbanzo beans
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder

Spice mix
1 tsp. Chaat masala
or
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
or
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. cumin powder

Soak the chickpeas overnight and cook in a pressure cooker until fork tender. I use my instant pot and it takes me 17 minutes manual to get them fully cooked. Alternately, you can use canned chickpeas. Just rinse and drain the water.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Blot dry the chickpeas on a paper towel. Combine with the seasoning and spices. Spread on a baking sheet evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Mix them up with a spatula and put them back for another 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Channa Masala No Oil (#WFPB)

Today I am posting a tried and tested recipe for channa masala without oil. If you have ever eaten channa masala in a restaurant you had to have seen the oil. You may then wonder how it is possible to make this dish without oil. The reality is oil does not add as much flavor. As long as the onion tomato mix is thoroughly cooked with the spices the channa masala turns out perfect. You will never miss the oil.

I made this channa masala after my daughter returned home for summer. She wanted some of her favorites and this dish places somewhere at the top of her list.

You will need
1 cup dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans (or 1 can)
1 small onion
1 medium tomato
1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp. tamarind paste
1 tbsp. channa masala spice mix
1 tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

Soak the dry beans overnight. Next day pressure cook the beans under fork tender. For me it is 15 minutes under pressure or if using the instant pot then 17 minutes manual mode under pressure. If using a can rinse and drain the water. Keep aside.

Mince the onion. Add a 1/4 cup of water to a pan and bring it to a boil. Add the onion and let it cook on medium heat until it is pink and translucent. In the meantime dice the tomato.

Add all the other ingredients, a half cup of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let it simmer until it is cooked and the water is almost gone.

Add the reserved beans, salt to taste and a half cup of water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on medium heat until the gravy reaches a consistency you like.

The channa masala with no oil is done.

Enjoy with a flatbread or rice!