Adapted from a recipe by Megan Gilmore, certified nutritionist consultant, Detoxinista.com
Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are grown in the U.S., mostly in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Washington. But India is the world’s largest producer of chickpeas, followed by Australia and Turkey. For farmers, chickpeas make an excellent rotation crop, particularly with grain crops. They can easily be found dried in bags, as well as in bulk sections, in most grocery stores. You can also find them cooked, in jars, boxes or cans.
Cook: Like many other legumes, chickpeas can be purchased dry, then soaked and pressure-cooked, but for most people, that’s a hassle. I buy chickpeas in a jar, box or can but try to find them without disodium EDTA, a chemical preservative. Just drain and rinse and they’re ready to go.
Eat: This dish is perfect served with pita or on top of rice.
Store: An airtight glass container will keep this dish fresh for up to four days in the fridge, but freezing is also an option. To reconstitute, add to a pot with about 1/2 cup of water.
Waste: This recipe calls for spinach, but if you have another dark green that’s about to go bad, like kale, collards or mustard greens, or even cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, swap it in for the spinach.
Connect: This is the perfect dish to serve in its pot at the center of the table. Warm some pita and let everyone break bread together and dig in.
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 small yellow onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger root, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- Salt
- Prepare onions, garlic and ginger; measure spices and add to bowl.
- In a pot with a thick bottom, heat ghee on medium and add onions, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 3 minutes, until slightly golden. Add all spices and gently mix. Cook for another minute.
- 3Add drained and rinsed chickpeas, tomatoes and coconut milk. Mix well, cover pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach and cilantro, mix and let sit for 3 minutes until greens are wilted. Salt to taste.
Nutrition: 1 cup cooked yields 14 grams of protein and 45 percent of the daily value of fiber. Garbanzos are a very good source of manganese, folate, and copper, in addition to other vitamins and minerals.