Chickpea Nuggets Salad

A meal or snack time…anytime is a good time for a salad. To make a salad healthy and filling at the same time, it must have a variety of vegetables in it and a little something extra.

Here, I have used chickpea nuggets for the protein component. The nuggets are really easy to make and pack in a lot of flavor from the spices. It’s a delight to bite into them.

Yes, a lot of times they just vanish due to snacking even before the salad has come to life!

Keeping the chopped vegetables refrigerated ensures that they remain fresh and crispy. Use the vegetables that you like to eat. Just build the salad according to your taste.

Using a jar to make the dressing is a superb idea and I almost always make them that way. Put everything in, shake it up and you have a dressing. The left over may be stored refrigerated in the jar itself.

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Chickpea Nuggets Salad                             Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:

For the nuggets (makes 12 nuggets)

Boiled Chickpea /Kabuli chana – 1 cup

Garlic – 2 to 3 cloves

Spices(Chaat Masala – ½ tsp, Garam Masala pdr– ¼  tsp, Cumin pdr – ½  tsp)

Onion – 1 tblsp (very finely chopped)

Fresh bread crumbs – about ½ cup

Salt – to taste

Oil – ¼ cup

For the salad

Iceberg Lettuce – 1 cup heaped (roughly chopped)

Capsicum – 1medium (sliced)

Tomato – 1 medium (sliced)

Cucumber – 1 (sliced)

Onion – 1 medium (sliced)

Baby radish – 6 to 8

Olives – 12 to 15

For the dressing

Mayonnaise – 2 tblsp

Mustard – 2 to 3 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tblsp

Extra virgin olive oil – about 1/3 cup (or as required)

Sweet chili sauce – to drizzle on top

Sea salt – to sprinkle on top

Method:

1.    Wash the vegetables thoroughly. Roughly chop the lettuce and put it in a bowl of water in the fridge. Slice the capsicum(remove the seeds), tomato, cucumber(peel it if you want) and onion. Trim the leaves and roots of the radish and cut them into half lengthwise.

2.    Put the sliced veggies into an airtight box or cover with cling wrap and keep them in the fridge till it’s time to make the salad.

3.    Drain the chickpeas and add them to a mixer jar. Add in the garlic and grind to a smooth paste. Use a little of the chickpea water (from boiling) if required.

4.    Take it out into a bowl, add in the spices and salt to taste. Add in the finely chopped onions and 1 tblsp of bread crumbs. Mix well to combine.

5.    Use a teaspoon to scoop out the chickpea mixture. Shape it into a nugget and roll it in some bread crumbs to coat it well. Keep aside. Make nuggets out of the entire mixture. Rest the nuggets in the fridge for 15 to 20 mins.

6.    Heat a pan or a grill pan. Fry the nuggets with very little oil, just to get some colour on them. Drain on absorbent paper.

7.    To make the dressing just put all the ingredients into a small jar and shake it vigorously.

8.    To build the salad, arrange the lettuce leaves (wipe them dry) at the base and then just add in the other veggies on top. Add in the radish and the olives. Finally, add in the chickpea nuggets (4 to 6 per person, if it’s a meal).

9.    Drizzle over the dressing and some sweet chili sauce. Sprinkle some sea salt. Serve immediately.

© Rinki’s Kitchen