“Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music.”
– Julia Child

Today i am thinking about chickpeas...
Chickpeas!! (very commonly used in most of the Indian dishes) including chick pea flour are used in curries and desserts.
Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, foliate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. Nutrient profile of Desi chana (the smaller variety) is different, especially the fibre content which is much higher than the light coloured variety. One hundred grams of mature boiled chickpeas contains 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.6 grams of dietary fiber and 8.9 grams of protein. Chickpeas also provide dietary phosphorus (49–53 mg/100 g), with some sources citing the garbanzo's content as about the same as yogurt and close to milk!!

Kala chana (black chickpeas)

Ingredients:
2 cups Kala chana (black chickpeas) - washed and soaked in water overnight
3 tbsp vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
3 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 large onion chopped fine
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp raw mango powder (amchoor )
2 medium tomatoes chopped into 1" cubes
1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
Juice of 1/2 a lime or lemon
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Boil the chickpeas in a pressure cooker or large pan till soft. Drain and keep aside for later.
Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan and when it is hot, add the cumin seeds. Cook till they splutter.
Add the green chillies and cook till they stop spluttering. Now add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and fry till soft.
Add the boiled chickpeas, coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chili, raw mango powders and mix well.
Cook for 2 minutes and then add the tomatoes, chopped coriander and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes more.
Turn off the fire and garnish with the lime juice. Mix and serve while hot.

Green chick pea salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried green chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, finely chopped to tiny bite size
• 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, chopped in half or quarters
for the dressing
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup sour plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon aamchur (dry mango powder)
• salt

Directions

• Heat a pan and dry roast the cumin seeds for a few seconds until they change color to a darker shade.
• Using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the roasted cumin seeds to a fine dust.
• In a food processor, add all the ingredients of the dressing and give it a mix.
• Take it out in a bowl, add the roasted cumin powder to it and mix properly again.
• Put the green chickpeas soaked with water in a microwave proof bowl and let it cook for 10 minutes at high temperature.
• In a salad bowl, add green chickpeas, chopped pepper, chopped cherry tomatoes and shallots.
• Pour the dressing and give it a good mix.
• Salad is ready!

Parippu vada (another variety of chickpeas fritter) 

Ingredients

• Chana dal (split bengal gram/kadala parippu) – 2 cups
• Onion – 1 big, finely chopped
• Green chilli – 2-3, finely chopped
• Ginger – 1-2 tsp, finely chopped
• Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp (optional, refer notes)
• Curry leaves – 3-4 stems, finely chopped
• Kayam (asafetida) – 1/8 tsp
• Salt
• Oil

Instructions

1. Soak chana dal in water for 2 hours. Drain the water completely. Make sure that the water is dried well, pat dry the dal with a clean kitchen towel.
2. Crush the soaked and drained dal, just run it in mixie for a few seconds. Make sure you dont grind it to a smooth paste. Add all ingredients except oil to the crushed dal and gently mix it together. Make small balls with the dal mix (gooseberry size).
3. Heat oil for deep frying pan on high flame. When oil is really hot, reduce the flame to low-medium and add the vada. Before adding to the oil, just flatten each ball in your palm. Wet your hands before flattening the dough. It is better to flatten the dough just before adding to the oil, otherwise it may break.
4. Fry till the vadas (fritters) become golden brown or if you like it extra crispy, fry till you get a darker shade of brown. Drain excess oil on a tissue paper. Serve hot.
5. You will get around 20-25 parippu vadas of small-medium size, with the above qty.