Tamarind Spiced Chickpeas And Spinach Recipes

TAMARIND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan, fry the nigella and fennel seeds for about 10 seconds. Add the onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until golden.
• Mix in the tomatoes, chillies, sugar, paprika, turmeric and chickpeas. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the tamarind and coriander. Add the spinach leaves and stir gently until they've just wilted. Serve with yogurt and chapatis.

SPICED CHICKPEA SALAD WITH TAHINI AND PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Make the chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the chickpeas into a small baking dish, about 6 inches by 8 inches. The chickpeas should be crowded together in a thick layer, not spread out. Pour in olive oil just until chickpeas are covered. (This will look like a lot, but don't worry: It forms part of the dressing.)
• Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and 2 big pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Bake until oil is bubbling around the chickpeas and they are turning reddish-brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make tahini sauce: Pour tahini into a bowl and whisk in lemon juice and garlic. The tahini will thicken and clump. Slowly whisk in warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce becomes smooth, creamy and pourable. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Set aside.
• Cook the greens: Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle lightly with olive oil. When hot, add the greens in batches, along with a big pinch of salt. Stir until wilted and tender and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a large bowl, gently mix chickpeas and their cooking oil with the cooked greens, half the pita chips, and the chopped herbs. Mound chickpea mixture in 4 shallow bowls. Divide cucumber slices around chickpeas. Drizzle thickly with half the tahini sauce and scatter remaining pita chips on top. Place a lemon wedge on the side and serve, passing extra tahini sauce at the table.

TAMARIND-SPICED CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oil spray in large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and sauté until softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add small amounts of water as needed to keep onions from burning.
• Add cumin, coriander and cayenne to skillet and stir to coat onion with spices.
• Cook for one minute then add diced tomatoes, with their juice, water, sugar, red pepper flakes and tamarind concentrate. Stir to mix well.
• Add chickpeas and bring mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

MEDITERRANEAN SPINACH CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook, tossing regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
• Add the tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, and chicken broth. Add the parsley and season with a good dash of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir in the spices.
• Bring to a boil of medium-high, then turn the heat down to low and cover partway, leaving part of the top open. Allow the spinach to simmer for 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• While the spinach stew is simmering, toast the vermicelli. In a small pan, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Add the vermicelli and continuously stir to toast it evenly. Vermicelli should turn a nice golden brown, but watch carefully not to over-brown or burn. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the toasted vermicelli in the spinach stew and cook for another 10 minutes or until the vermicelli noodles are cooked to tender.
• Remove from the heat and finish with lemon juice and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

TAMARIND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Rinse the chickpeas under cold running water and soak overnight in a bowl covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added.
• Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas and add to a medium saucepan. Cover with fresh cold water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the chickpeas are soft and buttery. Drain and set aside.
• Wipe the saucepan dry and set over medium heat. When the pan is hot again, add the olive oil, wait a moment or two, then swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the nigella and fennel seeds, stir once, then add the onion. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and starting to brown at the edges.
• Stir in the tomatoes, half of the green chilies, sugar, cayenne and turmeric. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes to let the tomatoes reduce. Now stir in the chickpeas, tamarind paste and coriander, then the spinach. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spinach is just wilted.
• Remove from heat and serve on Indian flatbreads or on a bed of white rice, dressed with a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt and the remainder of the fresh green chilies.

SPICY CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Toss 2 cans chickpeas (drained, rinsed and dried), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast in a 400 degrees F oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss with 4 cups baby spinach, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and salt to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

CHICKPEAS WITH BABY SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for one to two minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a darker color. Add the chickpeas, the stock or water, and the cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition of spinach wilts. Add salt to taste and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for five minutes. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt and cayenne, and serve.