Chikpeas Salad

 

This post was in my drafts for quite a some time now so today finally i decided to post it.This a very healthy salad with lot of vegetables as well as the nutrition of chickpeas  too.I adapted this recipe from Rachel Ray of Food Network ,but of course i made some changes in that and made it suitable for my taste buds .There are two recipe for this with slightly change or i would say hot or cold salad ,so here comes the recipes -

Ingredients                                                                                                                                                   

• 2  cans chickpeas( rinsed and drained) or 1 cup chickpeas (soaked overnite and boiled)
• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• Spinach leaves 7-8 ,cleaned and chopped
• 1 small carrot ,grated
•  2-3 tbsp Fresh coconut ,grated (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• juice of half lemon
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• some coriander leaves and lemon wedges for garnishing.

Method (cold salad)- 

Combine all Ingredients for salad in a large bowl mix well garnish with coconut ,coriander leaves, lemon wedge,keep it in the refrigerator for some time and serve.

Hot Salad-

Heat oil in a pan add all the vegetable and saute ,add salt and chickpeas and saute some more,Finally add red pepper flakes,black pepper and lemon juice ,take it out in serving plate ,garnish with coriander leaves,coconut and lemon wedges,serve hot.

Note- You can use any vegetable in this salad whatever you have,almost all veggies goes well with it.

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is a quite easy and traditionally a dish form southern parts of India,they have  many different Varieties of rice in their cuisine among them Lemon rice is very famous.This is the best way to use your leftover rice too.

Ingredients :

Rice       1 cup (cooked & cooled) 

Oil                1 Tbsp.

Mustard  seeds     1 tsp

Green chillies     2

Dry red chillies   2 

Turmeric            1 tsp

Salt               To taste

Lemon  juice       1/4 cup or less

Peanuts            1/4 cup

Cashew nuts        1/4 (pieces)

Chana dal          1tsp 

Urad dal           1/2 tsp

Curry leaves       3-4

Method-

1-Add lemon juice in cooked rice (make sure the rice should not be mushy and grains should be separated)

,keep it aside.

2-soak chana dal in water for at least half an hour.

3-Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds ,let it crackle.

4-Add cashew pieces and peanut and fry it for some time till sligtly brown,take them out of the pan.

5-Now in same pan and oil add red chillies,turmeric,curry leaves and chana dal fry for

 some time and then add urad dal and fry some more.

6- Now finally add rice,fried cashews ,peanut and saute lightly ,serve hot.