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Why you should choose chickpeas

11 May 2016

Protein-packed chickpeas seem to be everywhere lately and for good reason - they are high n fibre, folate, and zinc. They are also highly versatile in the kitchen - eat them hot or cold, as the star of a meal or as a support. You roast them, add them to salads, substitute them for croutons in soup, turn them into a simple snack with big flakes of sea salt and, of course, purée them to create a silky-smooth hummus.

Chickpeas fall under the category of pulses and the United Nations declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The hope is to position pulses as a primary source of protein and other essential nutrients. Below is a delicious recipe using chickpeas as a delicious side dish.

Crispy sumac salmon and crushed minty chickpeas

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 cups cooked Pouyoukas dried chickpeas
1 small handful fresh mint, chopped
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon
Small punnet cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) sumac
4 portions fresh salmon
Fresh lime or lemon wedges, to serve

Method

For the minty chickpeas: in a large bowl combine the chickpeas, mint, chilli, lemon juice, tomatoes, olive oil and red onion.

Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.

For the salmon: combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and sumac to form a paste.

Spread onto the fish, fry in a non-stick frying pan skin side down for 3-4 minutes on either side.

The skin should be crisp, while the fish is still pink and moist.

Serve the sumac salmon with minty chickpea salad and plenty of fresh lemon or lime.

Pouyoukas Foods is a partner of IYP in South Africa. To get involved, visit the Global Pulse Federation for more information.