Ingredients
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400g Chickpeasdrained, less than 2 cans
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1 can Canned TomatoesRoasted, diced
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100g Baby spinachWashed and drained
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2 Eggpreferably cold
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1 tbsp Olive Oil
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2 cloves Garlicfinely diced
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2 slices Gingerfinely diced
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1 tbsp Tomato pasteOptional
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2 tsp Garam Masala
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1/2 tsp Turmeric
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2 tsp Cumin seeds
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2 tsp Mustard seedsoptional (or mustard sauce)
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1 tsp Lemon Juiceto taste
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1 stalk Corianderchopped as topping
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1 tsp Sugar
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pinch Saltto taste
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generously Black PepperGround, to taste
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to taste Chilli PowderAny form of chilli, optional
Directions
Today I am sharing a simple recipe of panfried chickpeas with curried tomatoes and spinach. This recipe is vegetarian but can be easily made vegan or you can add in meat too. What is amazing about this recipe is that it is tasty and nutritious and so easy to whip up.
All my life, I had never noticed chickpeas much but over the past year my love for it increased. First from hummus then I started finding how easy and versatile it is to use this creamy pea!
Canned vs Dried Chickpeas
I started off using canned chickpeas and they taste great! One of those canned foods that is actually pretty healthy in general and I have no qualms taking. But we consume so much so often that I need to supplement it with dried chickpeas or else my pantry will see rows and rows of canned chickpeas.
So some time middle of last year, we decided to take out our long hidden pressure cooker that we got free when we bought our fridge or something and decided to test it out. And we knocked ourselves on our heads for not doing this earlier. Pressure cooker is a real life saver! We wanted to consume more beans but it is either buying cans and cans of them or cooking them like forever from dried beans and we were not so keen on both. But with the pressure cooker, I use canned beans in emergencies (so I just store 1 can) and takes me 30 minutes to cook say 6 cups beans to last us through the week. And it is cheaper cos 1kg of dried chickpeas (practically doubles up in weight after soaking) costs the same as 3 cans of chickpeas!!
Lazy ways to use Chickpeas
Anyway, so we have been using chickpeas, soy beans, black beans, kidney beans etc in quite a bit of lazy dishes. Because once cooked, I will store them in the fridge and use them for salads, stir fries, making tempehs, hummus, etc.
Recipe Overview
So this panfried chickpea is a one pan easy recipe that any beginner should be able to whip up. It is really super easy and forgiving. Heat pan with olive oil, add some mustard seeds, cumin, ginger and garlic, then throw in a can of diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Add some curry powder or garam masala powder with turmeric. Add the spinach, mix evenly and cook till wilted. Salt and pepper top with egg. Ta da!!! Simple enough right?
For the egg, I have recently realised the beauty of steaming eggs whole in their shell. I love this because you don’t need a whole lot of water, and do not need to wait for the water to boil. Plus there is not much to clean up after and sometimes I do not need to wash another pot used to boil egg cos I steam it with the veggies. Just make sure there is no cross contamination. Can have the eggs soft or thoroughly cooked via steaming. I like to steam eggs from the fridge for about 8 to 10 minutes. This should leave the yolks soft and whites hard. But the tricky part is in shelling the eggs as the soft centre makes it very fragile.
Variations
I use Hunt’s Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes for convenience. But you can use any others or even fresh tomatoes. Best part is if you do not have curry spices, you can use other ingredients like Japanese curry paste or tomato paste or pesto. Don’t even sweat it if you do not have some of the spices. I love the taste of cumin with chickpeas but you can choose to flavour it other ways.
If you want to have more protein to top it up to 40g or more of protein, add some tuna. No baby spinach? Use kale or sugar peas or celery or mixed salad greens.
This recipe is so versatile and the end result will be a nutritious, tasty, filling and satisfying meal packed with both macro and micro nutrients. This is a great breakfast or dinner especially after a busy day or workout.
Steps
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1
Done
10min
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Steam or boil eggUsing eggs fresh from the fridge, steam eggs for 10 minutes. |
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2
Done
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Heat pan and spicesAdd olive oil to pan and turn on medium heat. Before the pan gets hot, add olive oil, mustard and cumin seeds and let it warm up gradually. Stir a little and once you smell the cumin, add the ginger, garlic and tomato paste. Stir it quickly to mix. |
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3
Done
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Add tomatoes and chickpeasAdd chickpeas and tomatoes and mix evenly with spices. Add lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and let it cook for 1-2 minutes allowing the flavours to develop. Stir constantly. Taste and adjust accordingly. |
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4
Done
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Add spinachAdd spinach and stir it in cooking till it is wilted. Taste and serve with shelled egg on top. Garnish with coriander and a dash of garam masala or curry powder or chilli powder. |
