Ma made this often. She used dried green peas instead of chickpea. My daughter loves chickpea and so does her dad. So decided to use that instead of dried green peas. The soya granules I used here was to give the curry a texture and ‘chicken mince’ like feeling to con my daughter, who refuses to eat anything vegetarian. Of course the health benefits of soya are all well known. Thrilled to say, it worked!
For the curry:
250 gms chickpeas soaked over night and pressure cooked to three whistles
2 Baby potatoes – boiled and peeled (optional)
1 and 1/2 tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 big onion chopped
1 tablespoon of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water – with your fingers pulp the tamarind and juice it with the help of a strainer to make half a cup of tamarind juice/pulp.
Soya granules soaked in warm water and squeezed (or as per packet instructions)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger - grated
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (optional) – I didn’t use because of my li’l one
1 and 1/2 teaspoon Coriander dry powder
salt to taste (approx 1 tsp)
1 inch cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon Ajwain or Carum seeds
2 cloves
Oil or ghee – 2 tablespoons
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method:
Heat oil in pan/wok and add bay leaf, cinnamon, carom seeds and cloves. In a few seconds add to this chopped onion and sauté it with ginger for 2 minutes. Once translucent add tomatoes/tomato paste and sauté more. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander powder and mix well till the tomatoes are soft. Add the soaked soya chunks and mix well. Next add boiled chickpeas and potatoes. Add salt and mix more. Add about 1/2 cup water to this and cover the pan and cook of low flame for 10 minutes. One needs to cook this well for the chickpeas to soak in the masalas. Now, add the tamarind juice to this and cook for 5 minutes more. Check seasoning. Finish with a little bit of Garam masala if you wish. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving with hot rotis.
For the Rotis.
Knead 1/2 cup oat bran, 5 tsp quinoa, 1 cup of whole wheat flour into a soft dough and make chapatis or rotis out of it. If you want to make phulkas then don’t add quinoa for the rotis don’t fluff up when put to fire.
Voila! Here’s your high fiber, low GI, protein rich lunch ready!
