Warm Chickpea, Courgette and Yoghurt Salad!

I was fed-up with Chickpeas..

Me? That woman who likes everything? I could hardly believe it myself..

It just seemed that every time I saw the word ‘Moroccan’ or ‘Vegetarian’ on a menu or in a magazine, I just knew that Chickpeas were going to feature prominently.

I was bored.

Weird. Not like me. I genuinely do like virtually everything.

But hurrah, I’m cured! This little recipe – just 3 main ingredients, plus some stuff you probably have hanging about – has sorted that!

I’d done a couple of hours in the garden, it was almost mid-afternoon, and I’d had no lunch! I found this gem of a recipe on a site called The Smitten Kitchen – check her out fellow-foodies, she’s the biz – I read the recipe, and 10 minutes later – no exaggeration – I was sitting down to this sensational dish. It’s perfect for  a Vegetarian  lunch, but I also think that it would be a terrific side dish to go with grilled meats or for a party.

Go on, give it a go.. :),  banish Chickpea boredom, AND use up that glut of Courgettes!

EQUIPMENT:

• Tin opener
• Sieve
• Frying pan
• kitchen paper
• grater

INGREDIENTS:  Makes: a lunch for 1 -just add more Courgettes and yoghurt to feed more.                                             

• 1 tin of Chickpeas – washed, drained and dried.
• Oil (I use local Rapeseed Oil)
• Sprinkle of ground Cumin (optional)
• 1 Courgette, thinly sliced.
• Greek yoghurt – about 2 tablespoonfuls
• Zest of half a lemon
• Half a fresh garlic clove, grated
• Sea salt (I use Maldon)
• Chopped fresh herbs – I used  parsley today.

METHOD:

• Heat the oil in the pan until hot.
• Add the well-dried Chickpeas and roast for about 5 minutes or until they start to crisp up.
• Sprinkle over the ground Cumin if using. Add a little salt too.
• While the Chickpeas are cooking, slice the Courgettes.
• Drain the crisped Chickpeas on some kitchen paper.
• Add another spoon of oil to the pan and when it’s hot, add the sliced Courgettes, and stir-fry them until they wilt and start browning.

 

• Spread the yoghurt over your serving dish.
•  Grate the lemon zest and garlic  directly onto the yoghurt, add the salt, and mix in.

• Put the fried Courgettes onto the yoghurt, then top off with a handful of chickpeas.
• And tuck in!

NOTES:

• There’s something really delicious about this salad – the cool, slightly salty and lemony yoghurt, the warm courgettes, and the toasted chickpeas all come together to make a delicious whole.
• There are enough fried Chickpeas to do several more portions of this salad.
• It’s a great way of using up that glut of Courgettes that everyone has in August/September.
• You’ll need a whole Courgette  for one portion, as they shrink down as they cook.
• To make this as a side-dish, I’d use about 4-5 Courgettes, 300-400g of Greek yoghurt, and the whole tin’s worth of Chickpeas. Obviously you can double or treble it as you see fit.
• Here’s a whole new reason to always have a couple of tins of Chickpeas in your cupboard!