If you are looking at healthy eating choices - Look no further .. Try these high protein, high fibre vegan chickpea cutlets & you wont be disappointed.

 

In our quest to losing weight & staying healthy, Narayan & me consciously avoid heavy meals post 7.30pm on most days. While we are always on the look out to eat healthy meals at home that have the right amount of proteins & vegetables & at the same time satisfy our need to have tasty meals, these chickpea cutlets always come to our rescue.

If you have soaked & boiled Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans in hand, these cutlets can make the best lunch or dinner option or a filling tea time snack. Some fruits or a salad for dinner will be just right. This is also a very healthy option for kids who don’t like to eat pulses. Couple of tikkis / cultlets with their favourite ketchup will ensure the lunch box at school is wiped clean.

Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans are one of the earliest cultivated legumes found in the Middle East (7500 year old). Garbanzo bean or 'Kabuli' chana is mainly grown in the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, Northern Africa, South America and the Indian subcontinent. The name means "from Kabul" in Hindi and Urdu, and this variety was thought to come from Kabul, Afghanistan when it was introduced to India in the 18th century. (Source – Wikipedia)

Here are some of the medical benefits of consuming Chickpeas aka Garbanzo Beans (Source – Medical News Today)

Chickpeas contain folate, which plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair, and so helps prevent the formation of cancer cells from mutations in the DNA. Saponins, phytochemicals present in chickpeas, prevent cancer cells from multiplying and spreading throughout the body. High-fiber intakes from chickpeas and other legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are associated with a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.

Because of their high fiber content, chickpeas help to prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthful digestive tract. Additionally, chickpeas contain vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline, and selenium. Besides being an excellent vegan and gluten-free source of protein and fiber, chickpeas also contain exceptional levels of iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.

I am sure after reading all the health benefits, you will be more than willing to include this to your daily diet in many ways possible.

Please read the recipe & some interesting options below to include chickpeas in your diet.

Chickpea Cutlets with mixed peppers & mild spices (low oil) (vegan) (gluten free) (no onion & garlic)

Serves atleast 10 – 15 small cutlets

 Ingredients

1. Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans – 2 cups (soaked & boiled)
2. Potatoes – 1 cup (boiled & grated)
3. Mixed peppers (finely chopped) – ½ cup
4. Red chilly powder – 1/2 tsp (can be optional for kids)
5. Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
6. Coriander leaves – finely chopped (as required)
7. Salt as per taste
8. Oil – 2 tblsp

Method –

1.  In a big bowl, take boiled chickpeas & mash it nicely.
2. Add the boiled & grated potatoes, mixed peppers, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt & coriander leaves & give it a good mix.
3. Mash this mixture well & shape them into small tikkis / pattice / cutlets.
4. Refrigerate this for atleast 30 minutes before pan frying.

To cook the tikkis -

1. Take a non stick pan, put few drops of oil, clean it well with a kitchen tissue paper or a cloth or half potato.
2. Pour few drops of oil & cook the tikkis / cutlets on a medium flame. Keep an eye & flip them once slightly brown on one side.
3. Cook the same on the other side & serve hot with ketchup & green chutney (mint / coriander) or a curd dip.

Notes -

1. In case you want to shallow fry or deep fry them, I suggest adding more of potatoes for binding & holding the mixture well.
2. I also make the same cutlets using paneer instead of potatoes. In that case, paneer should be also one cup (grated).
3. If you are making these tikkis for the next day, shape the tikkis & cover them with a cling film & refrigerate it (not freeze), cook it the next day. The tikkis remain good in the fridge for 2 days max.
4. I have not used bread crumbs or any cornflour to bind the dough. Just pure veggies & pulses. However, if you want to deep fry, you can add some extra potatoes or a bit of bread crumbs too. Will turn crispy & golden brown too.

Some interesting options to include Chickpeas in your daily diet –

1.  Boiled Chickpeas Chaat – Toss few lettuce leaves, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, chilies with a vinaigrette of lemon juice, salt & some olive oil. A quick snack to curb your hunger pangs.
2. Boiled Chickpeas can be mashed & added to thicken your vegetable soups.
3. Leftover Chhole (a Punjabi dish made with chickpeas & a wide variety of dry masalas in a onion tomato gravy) can be converted into parathas for kids lunch box. Just blitz the chhole in a mixer grinder, add it to your wheat flour (not much water required for kneading as chhole is gravy based dish) & make flatbreads / rotis (can cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter for kids tiffin) with ghee.
4. Chickpeas Sundal – A South Indian quick snack option with requires just boiled chickpeas that can be tossed into a pan with some coconut oil, salt, grated coconut tempered with mustard seeds & curry leaves. This is usually served as Prasad in most temples in South India. These pulses are also part of the 9 day festival of Goddess Lakshmi (Navratri) in India & especially in South India where we offer one type of legume / pulse as prasad during the 9 days.

 

Vidya Narayan