With summer coming to an end, I am enjoying the last of the angled luffas (or as known in some parts of India toorai or jheenga). And today I am excited to share with you my favorite preparation with this vegetable, the black chickpeas curry.
Isn’t it amazing how nature’s produce is in sync with the body needs each season? Summer produce is all about vegetables high in water to keep the body hydrated. The winter veggies are slightly warming with lower water content. While on the other hand, the autumnal produce is a gentle transition from summer to winter. The angled luffa is an excellent example of a summer vegetable with high water content.
This black chickpeas curry tempered with garlic and panchforan with a dash of onions and chilies makes for a perfect quick fix and light meal. Its slight sweetness makes it a favorite with kids too. The black chickpeas are packed with protein and other nutrients which is an added advantage. You can eat this curry with warm phulkas or even with rice. I hope you like this traditional Bihari dish.
Try it for yourself and let me know how you liked it. Scroll down for the full recipe.
Ingredients
- Angled luffa (toorai/jhinga), skin peeled and cubed- 2 cups
- Medium-sized onions, sliced fine- 2
- Garlic, chopped fine- 4
- Black chickpeas (soaked overnight)- ½ cup
- Dried red chilies (optional)- 2
- Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
- Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste
- Oil-1 tablespoons
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add panchforan. Once the seeds start to splutter, add garlic and sauté for a minute on medium heat until fragrant
- Add sliced onions and sauté until translucent, then add the chickpeas with turmeric powder and salt and sauté for another minute
- Add the cubed angled luffa , mix well and put the pressure cooker lid on (no need to add water as this veggie releases a great amount of water anyway as it cooks) and increase the flame to high. Please see here for the right technique to use a pressure cooker safely (http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker)
- Once the pressure sets in (marked by a whistling sound of the cooker), reduce the flame to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for all the steam to release completely before opening the lid
- Turn on the heat and cook on medium-high heat stirring intermittently till most of the water evaporates and a semi-solid consistency is achieved.
Notes
Calories (per serving)- 100 Nutrition- Vitamin A/ Vitamin C/Vitamin B Complex/Iron/Magnesium/Copper/Fiber/Protein It does wonders for your- Eyes/Skin/Type 2 Diabetes/Arthritis/Heart/Anemia/Muscles This is “My 1pm/ 8pm Meal”
[kkstarratings]
No Comments