BY MYRA KOHN
I’ve been obsessed with this salad since the first time I had it at Poppy. They serve it with just baked, warm naan and it is impossible to resist. The nutty and starchy quality of the chickpeas combined with the aromatic, not too hot blend of spices and cooling yogurt, makes it not only a terrific and healthy snack or satisfying quick meatless lunch but also a side dish that pairs nicely with simply roasted lamb. We love it so much we have no problem eating it by the forkful.
2 (main dish) or 6 (side dish) servings | Start to finish: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons peanut oil, or other vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon ajwain seed, or substitute fennel seed or celery seed
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
Recipe
Put the chickpeas in a mixing bowl.
Pour the oil into a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the mustard seed, partially cover the pan to shield the sputtering seeds, and then turn the heat to low. When the sputtering subsides, uncover, add the cumin, ajwain, and chili flakes and cook for about 10 seconds or until the spices are a deeper brown and fragrant. Immediately pour the oil and spices over the chickpeas.
Add the lemon juice, salt, cilantro and green onion and toss with a rubber spatula. Stir in the yogurt. Check seasoning again.
Serve right away, or refrigerate and return to room temperature before serving.
*gluten-Free
*vegetarian
Myra’s notes: Ajwain seed is not only aromatic (like a cross between thyme and caraway, only a tad hotter) but also considered a highly beneficial culinary herb in India. In Seattle, we found ajwain at World Market Spice. The black mustard seeds (also known as brown or dark), hotter and more pungent than regular mustard, were found at Market Spice.
For the yogurt, we used Fage Total as it is made of whole milk and strained. It coats the chickpeas without being runny or watery. (Greek Gods whole milk yogurt or Samish Bay Greek-Style yogurt also provide the correct richness.)
We tested this recipe with both dried chickpeas (Italian, soaked overnight, then simmered stove top for 1 1/2 hours) and the best canned chickpeas (Eden organic, no salt added) we could find at the market. We enjoyed both versions and could not find enough of a difference to prefer one over the other.
Recipe courtesy of Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy Restaurant