I came up with the idea of preparing healthy spicy chickpea brown rice salad whilst planning to prepare chatpate, a Nepali street food snack, for Harmony Day at my school where I teach. This is an annual celebration that aims to showcase different cultures that my students practise in terms of food, clothing, games and attire. Although I’ve got no ties in terms of anything Nepalese, I was happy to lend a helping hand in food preparation on that special day which turned out to be a success.
So, prior to the event, I decided to try this healthy spicy chickpea and brown rice salad within the comforts of my kitchen. Instead of using the medley of dried fried ingredients that the original dish calls for, I decided to substitute it with brown rice for a healthier twist. Before I share this recipe with you, dear readers, I happily give credits to the origins of this dish which I have adapted to suit my own style.
Ingredients
1 cup brown basmati rice
1 cucumber, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 potatoes, diced
1 Spanish onion, diced
2 big tomatoes, diced
2 green chilies, diced
1 packet chic peas, boiled
1 bunch coriander, chopped
salt to taste
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp chili flakes
juice of 1 lemon
pepper
Method
- Cook basmati brown rice and let it cool.
- Boil chick peas in a pot of water and let it cool. Let the chick peas soak overnight to let it soften sufficiently. Boil for about 15 minutes till soft.
- Cook potatoes and carrots in microwave oven for 5 minutes.
- Mix all ingredients in a big bowl.
- Add spices indicated in the ingredients section as well as pepper, chilies, chili powder and flakes.
- Add lemon juice and mix ingredients thoroughly.
- Best served cold, with hummus.
The above salad can be eaten on its own or in a wrap. You can adjust the amount of chili, chili powder and flakes to suit your level of heat tolerance. Trust me, this salad is tasty and refreshing and can be used as a side dish to your mains. Savour it with humus which gives the salad a more full-bodied flavour.