Google
 

October 2, 2007

Middle Eastern Salad


In an effort to make our meals healthier, we decided to switch to salads for lunch. Over the past 6 weeks, we have been having a filling salad for lunch at least three times a week. We eat 5-6 small meals instead of 3 large ones and a salad for lunch seemed to fit in very well with this plan. I must admit that the idea came to me when I was travelling to NOIDA everyday. After breakfast at 7, I'd be hungry by 11 but had to wait until 2.30 to eat lunch because of the cafeteria's restrictions. So, I started packing a light snack, a fruit box and a salad everyday. (I was on this high protein 6 small meals a day diet some 4 years ago, but forgot about it with time.)



Salads to me somehow always meant kosumbaris or plain green salads. I hadn't, until three or 4 years ago, experimented with salads. Amma makes a lovely Waldorf salad that I am yet to attempt. But the best salad I've eaten to date is an Oriental Glass Noodle Salad at the Noodle Bar in Parel. I wish I had been smart enough back then to ask the chef for the recipe.



All this blogging has made me refer to cookbooks more and more. One of the books that I have often talked about is Favorite Vegetarian Dishes. I found this Middle Eastern Salad that I adapted to create this. It is very rare that I find a recipe that calls for several ingredients, all of which I have. So when I do, I go ahead and make it right away.



200g Chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked

2 Carrots, diced

1 bunch Spring Onions, chopped

1 Cucumber, cut in quarters

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

3 tbsp Lime Juice

1 Red Capsicum, diced


Mix all the vegetables with the chickpeas in a large salad bowl. Add the salt and pepper along with the lime juice and toss gently. Enjoy it right away or chill it for about 30 minutes.


I love this salad and will be making it often. It is almost criminal for something so simple to taste so good. But as long as it does, I'm not complaining.

29 comments:

Rajitha said...

raaga..awesome! no oil and looks and sounds great...i have all the ingredients on hand too..should make this one easy!

Raaga said...

I am still laughing after reading your post :-)

Do try this out... it is very easy and I love the taste.

Latha Narasimhan said...

Very simple salad raaga! BTW are you working today?

Raks said...

Nice and healthy recipe, i will sure try it out!!

Raaga said...

Thanks Latha. I am off today. :-)

Anonymous said...

The salad looks quite tempting and easy to make.

Raaga said...

Thanks Raks... do let me know when you make it.

Raaga said...

@Madhuli: It is... and if I can make it, that is proof enough.

FH said...

YUM! YUM!! I love salad with beans. Looks and tastes fabulous too. Good one Raaga.Send this to Hima's "Diet Food".
Loved the Alu cutlets too!:)

Raaga said...

Will do Ashakka. Didn't know that was the theme of this month.

Sia said...

healthy and colourful affair :)

Apple said...

I love salads with chickpeas..this one looks healthy...But the problem with me is I can't stick on to a healthy diet for long...;)

Anonymous said...

So you eat only this sald for lunch ?
Even I am hungry by 11, I leave home at 6:30 :(, maybe I should do something like this too

Siri said...

Lovely salad dear...esp the addition of chickpeas makes it more healthy ..:D

Saju said...

Raaga! the salad looks so tempting, healthy too.

Kumudha said...

I like this salad! It is so simple, yet so filling and healthy!

musical said...

Chickpeas rock! Lovely salad, Raaga, and am sure really filling and fulfilling too :).

Unknown said...

Raaga salad is colourful and healthy. Thanks for the recipe will try it.

bee said...

lovely dish. raaga, to help your with your lunchboxes:

mix greens/veggies with cooked beans/lentils, one kind of chopped fruit and some toasted nuts. tat's what we always do. for the dressing it's often chinese rice wine vinegar (it's mild), a pinch each of sugar and salt. that's it. or salt, lemon and honey. to make it more filling, we add sprouts and a carb like cubed toasted bread or cubed and sauteed potatoes.

Mandira said...

this looks delicious. also, I saw your note about cooking plantains with mustard. I will be posting the roundup over the weekend, and there are couple of good recipes in there ;)

Kribha said...

Looks so colorful and delicious. Nice one.

Anonymous said...

The salad looks so colorful and healthy. Thanks for the good idea, Raaga I need to start eating salads as fillers.

Roopa said...

looks delicious i am always ready for salads :)

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

Very healthful indeed!

Grihini said...

very colorful...

Viji said...

Lovely Raaga. Love in my lunch box always. Viji

Sharmi said...

looks very refreshing and colorful.

Raaga said...

@Sia: You tend to keep looking at it... the colours are so bright and nice

@Apple: You can try :-)

@Sandeepa: It works well for me... a milkshake in the morning with cereal, a mid morning snack, a salad for lunch, fruits for mid afternoon, soup and a very light dinner if at all.

Raaga said...

And to everyone else, Thanks. I do hope you try it. I found it so simple and nice that I had to post it.

Bee: I made some croutons with the bread I baked and we're thinking of adding some to our salads as well :-)