Hi everyone. Remember that HUGE can of chickpeas I showed you a while back that I typically buy at Costco for $3 or $4? Well, I have been using them to make this really great Indian Chick pea dish. I went to Edison, NJ to a mega Indian Supermarket with my friend Suzanne and we got all these hard to find Indian ingredients (It was in Parkway Plaza, Oak Tree Road, Iselin, NJ 08830).
How often do we browse through cookbooks or magazines and dismiss a delicious sounding recipe because we don’t have the seemingly obscure ingredients? Going to an ethnic market and buying those ingredients can change all of that and transform us into the restaurant food home chefs we may have always aspired to be.
Here’s a tip: Ask a friend who is in the ethnic-know to take you to an ethnic market and show you the lay of the land. Ask friends or family for easy recipes or easy ethnic recipe cookbooks and see if they will even demonstrate how to cook some of these dishes. Take your time, practice and you will be surprised at how simple it can be with the right stuff.
Enjoy!:
Indian Style Broccoli Rabe and Chick Peas:
1 cup washed, dried and chopped cilantro
2 cleaned and chopped scallions
1/3 red onion, chopped
1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and dried
4 cups cooked chick peas
10 curry leaves(optional-can get at an Indian Food store dried or fresh)
2 ounces of panir or farmer cheese cut into 1/2 cm chunks
2 ounces firm tofu, cubed into 1.2 cm chunks
1 TBS canola oil
In a large , heavy saute pan, heat up the oil. In a minute or so when the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and stir up for 2 minutes or so. Add the chopped cilantro and chopped scallions and saute up until they are all wilty, another 3 minutes or so.
Add the broccoli rabe and stir for a minute or two until wilty. Add the chick peas and the curry leaves and stir until all ingredients are combined.
Add the tofu and cheese and stir gently so the tofu does not fall apart. Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Can serve with a nice basmati rice…
Yogurt Sauce (Raita):
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1/2 finely diced cucumber, seeded
2 TBS washed and minced fresh mint
Place sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Serve on the side of the Chick pea dish. yum!
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2 Responses
When I make raita, I grate the cucumbers (using a large cheese grater) — much easier and you don't have to take the seeds out.
Great idea, Aman-thanks!! You still need to show me YOUR Indian market!
Alma