Chickpea Salad (Vegan)

Just 10 simple ingredients - that's all! Fresh coconut is the star of this dish 🥥.

See the recipe card for quantities.

• For this recipe, I prefer to use dry chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, that I soak in water. This recipe can be made with canned chickpeas,
• Fresh coconut is the best choice for this dish, but you can substitute it with grated-frozen or coconut flakes.
• I use regular, brown mustard seeds.
• White lentils: Also known as urad dal. You can find them at your Indian grocers, or you can skip the white lentils if you don’t have them.
• Asafoetida is a spice that gives a unique flavor to the dish and also helps with digestion.
• You can adjust the spiciness of the dish by using green chili pepper as per your taste.
• I have used neutral oil here. Traditionally this recipe is made in coconut oil. Olive oil or peanut oil will work well too. 

You will love this easy and vegan chickpea salad recipe for its creamy texture, delicious taste, and aromatic smell. Let me show you how to make it.

As always, the detailed instructions and notes are in the recipe card.

Soak the chickpeas: Wash the chickpeas and soak them in water for 6-8 hours (or overnight). Add turmeric to the water.

Cook the chickpeas: Drain the water in which the chickpeas have been soaking and rinse them. Cook them in a pressure cooker (6 to 7 "whistles") or large pot with 2 and ½ cups of water and salt. Chickpeas should be cooked soft and still hold their shape.

If you are using canned chickpeas, begin from here.

Drain the chickpeas. Keep aside.

Do not discard the water. We may need some of it when sautéing the chickpeas. Add the rest of it to your soup, stock or curries.

Grind: Coconut, cilantro and green chili to a coarse paste. Use an electric grinder or mortar and pestle. Keep aside.

Sauté: Place a skillet over medium high heat and add oil to it. Add the spices and fry till they splutter and turn brown in color.

When the lentils are turning brown and the mustard seeds are spluttering, add the paste of coconut, cilantro and chili. Fry for a minute.

At this stage, if you find that things are a bit dry in the pan, add some chickpea water (1 to 2 tablespoons) that you had drained and reserved earlier.

Add the cooked chickpeas and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, while gently mixing till the spices coat them well.

Optional garnishes: Add finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves; grated coconut; a dash of freshly squeezed lime juice.

That's it, this easy vegan garbanzo bean salad is ready! Serve this as a snack or as a delicious side to your main meal. See pairing suggestions below.

• You can use canned chickpeas for this recipe to save time and effort. This way, you only need about 5 minutes to cook the dish in the skillet. However, make sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas first. You can also reserve some of the water for sautéing and add the rest to your soups and gravies. If you use canned chickpeas, you should add the turmeric to the oil with the other spices. You can also skip the turmeric if you want.
• Fresh coconut gives the best flavor to this dish, but you can also use grated/ shredded, frozen coconut. Just thaw it before grinding. Another option is to use desiccated (dried) coconut.

Top tip: It is important that the chickpeas be cooked soft and still hold their shape. Chickpeas that are undercooked or overcooked will ruin the texture of the dish.

Variations:

• Spicy - Increase the quantity of green chilis to suit your palate. Use fresh jalapeno if you have - it will work well!
• Love coconut? - Use coconut oil instead of regular oil for a more intense coconut flavor just as I have in this zucchini kootu recipe.
• To make it kid friendly, smash the chickpeas before tossing them in the spices. Your kid will the texture of mashed chickpeas.
• Other beans: This recipe will work well with black eye beans, brown chickpeas and dried yellow peas. 
• Flavor boost: Add a dash of lemon juice and some chopped cilantro just before serving.

Storage:

Store the leftovers in a glass container with a tight fitting lid. Good for 2-3 days.

Meal prep tip: Double or triple the quantity of chickpeas. Cook them and store them in the fridge to make this recipe another day. Good for 3-4 days.

For cooking the chickpeas: I use the old fashioned pressure cooker - with a weighted stopper and a valve (see video). I have grown up seeing my mum cook with it. Use any other type of pressure cooker or instant pot or slow cooker to cook your chickpeas.

For grinding: On days when it is convenient for me (and I have the time!), I use a mortar and pestle to grind the coconut-chili-cilantro paste. On most days, I do it the quick way - by using an electric grinder.

For sautéing: I love using my well-seasoned cast iron pan for this. You can use any heavy bottomed skillet / frying pan that you have with you.