Chick peas are packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals – and a brilliant source of protein, making them an ideal choice for people following a plant-based diet. An 80g serving counts as one of your ‘5 a day’.
They’re also incredibly versatile, lending themselves well to an array of delicious dishes, as Ian Jaundoo, the chef lecturer who led the City of Liverpool team to victory in the 2020 Country Range Student Chef Challenge, demonstrates with these five chick pea inspired dishes…
ABOUT: IAN JAUNDOO
Ian Jaundoo is an executive chef at The City of Liverpool College, as well as a fellow of the Craft Guild of Chefs and lead tutor for the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) Chefs Apprentice Course. He is the team manager for the RACA/Student Culinary Team and mentored the trio of students who won the Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2020.
Spicy vegetable and Chick pea soup
Sweat chopped onions, leek and garlic in a little olive oil, then add a teaspoon each of smoked paprika, ground cumin and curry powder. Cook for one minute and add a tablespoon of tomato paste and a can chopped tomatoes. Add 400ml vegetable bouillon and two large potatoes, diced, 600g of chick peas and seasoning. Finish with fresh chopped coriander.
Chick pea and spinach curry
Sweat two chopped onions, three cloves of garlic and a 2”piece of grated ginger. Add two tablespoons of Madras curry paste and cook for one minute. Add 100ml vegetable stock and 200ml coconut milk and reduce by half. Add two large potatoes, small diced, and one can of chick peas. Add 400g of chopped tomatoes and season. When almost cooked, add two handfuls of baby spinach.
Tomato and Avocado Houmous
Peel two avocados and mash lightly with a little lemon juice and olive oil. Blitz one can of chick peas in a blender and season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Finely chop two firm tomatoes, two spring onions and combine with the houmous and avocado. Serve with mini warmed pitta breads.
Chick pea and coriander flatbread wraps
Lightly fry 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds in olive oil. Add a finely chopped green chilli pepper and two chopped spring onions. Add 300g of rinsed chick peas and eight quartered cherry tomatoes. Season and simmer for two minutes. Prepare a dip with natural yogurt, chopped fresh coriander and lime juice. Place in a flatbread, roti or tortilla type wrap and serve with green salad.
Chick pea burger
Place drained chick peas and sweetcorn in a processor and add two tablespoons of fresh coriander. Add half teaspoon of curry powder, ground cumin, half a lime zest, one tablespoon of olive oil and pulse. Shape into 100g burger patties and chill for at least an hour. Pan fry in a little vegetable oil or bake in oven. Serve in burger buns with lettuce, red onion, tomato ketchup and mint mayonnaise.