Ramadan tends to be a time for rich and bountiful Iftar feasts. I admit that as a child, I grew up in a similar tradition, with the table groaning under a large number of dishes either fried or super creamy. Due to certain health and dietary reasons, the last few Ramadans have been of the lighter variety, helping to detox the body and still be wide awake for working or going to evening classes.That being said, one main dish that is a staple in the family Iftar, regardless of whether we serve everything fried up or not, is chickpeas (or channa as most desis know it). My granny has come up with countless ways of serving them, including having them raw.
One key ingredient in all the channa dishes is chaat masala. This mix is available in most supermarkets in the UAE and quite spicy and tangy. A word of caution: be super careful with the salt as most chaat masala mixes contain liberal doses of salt. The best thing is to add salt just before serving if you feel the sodium content is too low. Oh, and my mom and granny are coriander addicts so don't even think of having these recipes without them.
So, as a guest contributor, I'm sharing three ways of serving the humble chickpea. These dishes are quite easy on the stomach, yet filling:
Fat Expat Guest Contributor Mars is a Dubai-based blogger and foodie.
3 comments:
Woohoo! I'm published on the fat expat! maybe i can get some eid recipes towards the end of the month - a sweet fest!
Niiice!
But what's this - chick peas in a can?
I guess the days of soaking dried chick peas to soften them before cooking are over! LOL
I never said I was a traditionalist - although the raw chickpea one should satisfy your taste for soaking them. :)
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