The Sunday morning ride to Khopoli was exhilarating. We enjoyed the cool weather and savoured piping hot bhajiyas and vada at Shree Samarth Snacks in Khopoli. By the way, I never miss their super spicy Thecha; I can’t get enough of it. On the return journey, we visited our friends’ farm and were pleased to receive a free, farm-fresh sampling of arugula. The foodie in me was thrilled — it’s been ages since I crafted a dish with arugula, and I started planning a recipe while riding home. This time, I decided to create something simple, vegetarian, and free of rice or roti. Couscous seemed perfect, and thus the recipe for chickpeas with couscous was born. Great for vegans too, this is a healthy dish bursting with the goodness of arugula. Do give it a try. Happy cooking!
Serves – 2
Prep Time – 15 mins
Cook time – 25 minutes
Ingredients:
Couscous – 1 cup
Boiled Chickpeas – 1 cup
Onion – 2
Carrot – 1 small
Arugula leaves – a few
Green chilli – 1
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Olive oil – 3 tbsp
Vegetable stock or broth – 1 cup ( 120 ml )
Curry powder – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Instructions:
1 ) Boil the couscous till it absorbs the liquid. Fluff the couscous with a fork and separate the grains. Set aside.
2 ) Grind the onions to a fine paste.
3 ) Cut the carrot and green chilli as per choice and chop the arugula.
4 ) Heat oil, saute the onion paste till it gets roasted nicely to dark brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilli and carrot and saute futher for a minute.
5 ) Add the chickpeas and mix well. Add the curry powder and salt. Add the vegetable stock or broth and cover the pan. Let it simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Once stock gets absorbed and curry gets a thick texture, remove from the pan.
6 ) Top the curry with arugula leaves and lemon juice. Serve the curry paired with couscous.
With Rider Buddies at Shree Samarth Misal, Khopoli
