Savoury Chickpea Salad (Chaat)

Chaat is a savoury snack that is widely enjoyed in Southern Asia and features chickpeas as the main ingredient. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are legumes that are a great fit with a plant-based diet as they are a good source of protein, folate and fibre. Chickpeas contain carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (GI), meaning they are slowly digested, absorbed, and metabolized. This leads to slower and smaller fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels than foods with a high GI, providing you with a steadier stream of energy. Research shows that low glycemic foods may also decrease inflammation in your body.

Nutritional information (per serving*):

Calories: 160; Protein (7g) Total Fat (1g); Saturated Fat (0g); Monounsaturated Fat (0g); Carbohydrates (35g); Fibre (7g); Sodium (137mg).

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

*Servings: 4 (1 cup)

Ingredients:

• 1 – 19 fl oz can chickpeas, low sodium, washed and rinsed

• 1 medium potato, peeled, cooked, diced

• 1 large tomato, diced

• 1 small onion, diced

• ½ cup cilantro, fresh, chopped

• 1/3 cup mint, fresh, chopped

• 1/3 cup tamarind or plum sauce

• ½ tablespoon fruit chaat masala seasoning (often includes mango powder, cumin, coriander, dried ginger, salt and black pepper) *see note below

• Juice from ½ a lime

• Sprinkle salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together lime juice and tamarind (or plum) sauce.

2. Add in tomatoes, onions, cilantro, mint, and chaat masala spices. Combine all ingredients.

3. Mix in the chickpeas and cooked diced potatoes.

4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Extra tips:

✔ Find the fruit chaat masala seasoning at your local grocery store in the international section or buy online. You can also replace the chaat masala with ground cumin, red chilli powder, ginger powder, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste.

✔ Replace potatoes with sweet potatoes for added fibre and vitamin A.

✔ Add diced avocado to enhance the mixture of flavours and textures. Avocado also contains healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

✔ Serve as a snack or as a light meal.

✔ First time eating chickpeas? Start with small amounts (1/2 cup at a time) to minimize bloating and gas.

If you feel that consuming legumes is worsening your pain and inflammation levels, a Registered Dietitian can help you identify food intolerances and customize a nutritional plan to your individual needs.

The @arthritisdietitian developed this recipe for the Arthritis Society

#plantbaseddiet #mediterraneanlifestyle #heritagefoods #anti-inflammatorydiet #vegan #vegetarian #southasian