During one of my no-rice diet attempts a few months back, I happened to take a big serving of salad and a side of chickpeas sauteed with onions for lunch to work. And it so happened that I was a little busy that day, so ended up mixing both together and eating it at my desk. And I loved it. The crunch of the veggies, particularly the lettuce, and the soft creaminess of the chickpeas was so contrastingly enchanting.
Just the salad and the chickpeas were so filling, that I did not get my usual 5 pm hunger pangs, and survived the 6 hours post lunch with guiltless satisfaction.
Today, I wanted to serve them in rice paper cups, to give it an added crunch! It was lovely, you should try it too!
Chickpea salad in rice paper cups
To make these, you will be needing
– A large bowl of vegetables, chopped and ready for assembly. I used lettuce, cucumber, onions, tomatoes and fresh coriander.
-Salt and pepper to taste. Add them just before serving, or the salt tends to draw out the water from the vegetables, making the whole thing soggy.
– A handful of chickpeas, boiled to creamy perfection. Whole and perfectly in shape on the outside, but melts once you bite into it.
– Heat a little oil in a pan, fry an onion (sliced thin), add salt and pepper, and keep aside to cool completely.
– A few sheets of rice paper, and if you don’t have these, use any paapad that you have. Crackers on the base might also turn this salad into a snack.
– Cut the rice paper into four parts (for larger cups), or 8 parts (for smaller cups). Deep fry, and keep aside. (If you’re making this ahead of the serving time, store in an air-tight container)
To assemble
– Toss the vegetables together with salt and pepper. Add a squirt of lime juice for a zing!
– Place the rice paper cups on the plate. Place a little salad, and top it off with the chickpeas. Garnish with mint or more fresh coriander.
– Serve immediately.
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