This is a simple vegetable side that incorporates authentic Indian spices. The flavor is perfect with any kind of green, and the result is some tasty!
The flavor starts with turmeric and coriander powder, which creates a gentle spice background. Next comes the fresh lemon juice, salt, natural sweetness from the chickpeas, a slightly bitter taste from the sesame seeds, and the astringency of the greens.
Overall, it's a balance of six tastes, and fully satisfying.
This recipe is adapted from “The Ayurvedic Cookbook,” by Amadea Morningstar with Urmila Desai.
It is one of those rare recipes that turned out amazing the first time around. Having made it now quite a few times now, I can’t wait to share it with you.
I often use canned chickpeas for this dish. It makes this dish super quick to make (15 minutes), and it requires very little planning, as long as you have some basic ingredients on hand. I always prefer starting with dry chickpeas though, if I can manage it.
If you have time to soak and prepare the chickpeas yourself, see my post, "How to Cook Chickpeas From Scratch." One idea is to cook extra, and keep them in the fridge or freezer for other uses.
Almost any type of greens will do for this dish, so harvest whatever is ready in your garden, or use up what’s in the fridge. Feel free to mix different types of greens together for a variety of flavor, color, and texture.
Kale, collards, mustard greens, swiss chard, dandelion greens, radish greens, beet greens, fresh snap peas, snow peas, zucchini, and spinach all work beautifully.
The dish can handle a little bitter, so one suggestion is to combine the bitter dandelion or radish greens with a sweeter green, such as spinach. Be creative, and enjoy your results.
Chickpeas And Greens W/ Sesame Seeds And Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas, (15.5-ounce can)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, (any neutral flavored oil suitable for high temperature cooking)
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds, see notes
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder, see notes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, see notes
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 6 cups fresh greens, washed and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped coarsely (optional)
Instructions
- If you plan to use dry chickpeas and cook them from scratch, please see, How to Cook Chickpeas from Scratch.
- If you are using canned chickpeas, you are ready to get started.
Make the chickpeas and greens
- Open up your can of chickpeas. Drain off the juice, and rinse with cold water. Wash and chop your greens, and squeeze your fresh lemons. Get out the black mustards seeds, coriander powder, and turmeric powder.
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and sauté until half of them begin to pop. Add the coriander and turmeric and stir well in the oil for about 20 seconds to release the flavor and aroma of the spices.
- Immediately add the chickpeas and stir. Add the lemon juice, sea salt, and sesame seeds, and mix well. Simmer for about 3–5 minutes on medium heat.
- Place the prepared greens on top of the chickpeas with a ¼ cup of water and cook, covered, for 2–3 minutes. Stir to incorporate the greens and continue to cook another 5 minutes. Continue cooking until the greens are soft and fully cooked.
- Stir in the optional chopped coriander just before serving.
- For a complete meal, enjoy Chickpeas and Greens with a side of hot basmati rice.
Dennise
Hi Andrea, I can't wait to try cooking this dish! I just discovered your blog. So excited to explore all the other recipes you've posted. I have a weakness for Indian food. I just love the flavours! Gonna start next weekend after buying the necessary ingredients. 🙂
Andrea
Hi Dennise,
So nice to hear from you, and that you are excited to try some new recipes with balanced flavors. I am very interested to hear back from you after you make the recipe. I am sure that this one will not let you down! You said you would buy ingredients. Did you see my post on Indian Ingredient Substitutions? Good luck, and enjoy!
Denise
Hi again Andrea,
So far I've done the chickpeas & greens dish, the braised leek dish (but without turnips, I couldn't find them at the supermarket), and Dal Tadka. It's been around 2 months since I started cooking Indian dishes. My complexion has improved, and I'm feeling healthier and more well-nourished. My family is also benefiting from these new dishes. The feeling of having more energy throughout the day is simply wonderful.
Thank you for sharing these delicious recipes, Andrea!
Andrea
Dear Denise,
I am so honored that you tried my recipes, and especially that you took the time to share your experience with me. Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better, and that your family is also benefitted. My goal is to put out there vegetarian recipes that are deeply nourishing for mind and body. I hope that you keep cooking at home, because that is half the battle. Please let me know what types of recipes you would like to see, and I will do my best to share some.