Chickpeas and Kale Stir Fry

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is my new favorite dish! I have always liked chickpeas aka garbanzo beans aka Kabuli Chana, but the black chana which we call Kadala in Kerala has always been my favorite. I normally buy canned garbanzo beans only for quick fix dishes and for salads, but recently I came across an interesting recipe called Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry on 101 Cookbooks. Just reading about the golden, crusty, pan-fried chickpeas had me drooling and made me wonder why I never tried chickpeas this way!

The original recipe calls for tofu and zucchini to make it a complete meal, but I went for a simple chickpea and kale combination which made a quick and easy side dish that tasted truly spectacular! Final touch in this dish is some freshly squeezed lemon juice along with some lemon zest that totally elevates the taste to a different level. You have to try it to believe how tasty this simple dish is! You wouldn’t want to have canned garbanzo beans any other way! Okay, I’ll stop now, your tastebuds might react in a totally different way, so just try it and see.

Kale is one of my favorite greens and it is in season now. Kale’s slightly bitter, peppery kick and the fact that it is impossible to overcook makes it a great candidate in this stir-fry. You can also use other greens but I strongly recommend Kale. Kale is an excellent source of Vitamins, calcium and fiber. It also contains antioxidants and improves digestive health as well as builds up immunity. Kale is available year round, but the Kale grown in the cold weather is supposedly the sweetest, so now it a good time to try it. This month’s Bon Appétit magazine features Kale as the In Season ingredient and there is a Tuscan Kale Chips recipe which has caught my eye. It is nothing but roasted Tuscan Kale leaves with olive oil, salt and vinegar. I have to try it as soon as I find some Tuscan Kale. Here I’ve used the regular curly kale.

 

Chickpeas and Kale Stir Fry

adapted from Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry @ 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 1 can pre-cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 bunch Kale, tough stems removed and chopped
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 baby lemon

Method

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a large non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and saute the shallots and garlic till soft. Add salt and the chickpeas and saute till the chickpeas turn golden and crusty, about 8-10 minutes. Add the red pepper and mix well. Add the kale and saute for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. Season with more salt if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Simple isn’t it? And did I mention it is perfect for South Beach Diet – all phases?

I haven’t participated in any events in a while, but I found some perfect events to send this entry in. Since I used and talked about the seasonal ingredient Kale, I am sending this to Maninas for the February edition of Eating with the Seasons. And as Chickpea is the main player in this dish, this is also my entry for My Legume Love Affair – Eighth Helping hosted by The Well-Seasoned Cook, Susan.

BTW, we are off to India next Thursday for a 3-week vacation. S things are really busy around here; finishing up the stuff at work, shopping, packing etc. That’s the reason I haven’t been able to update this space frequently or blog-hop lately. My RSS reader is overflowing already! Hopefully I haven’t missed much.  I might get to post at least once more before we leave, and hopefully from back home as well. But in case I go missing for weeks, just wanted to let you all know that’s where I will be!

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Category: For Vegetarians, Lentils and Legumes, Side Dish - Dry, Side Dishes, Snack Ideas, South Beach Diet Friendly, Vegetarian