The Indian Weekender Friday, 23 October 2020

18
FEATURES
Friday, October 23, 2020 The Indian Weekender
BLACK CHICKPEAS
CHANA KEBAB
INGREDIENTS:
• 1cup - chickpeas
• 1tsp - salt
• 1/2tsp - oil
• FOR KEBABS
• 2 - potatoes, medium
• 1tsp - mango powder
• 1/2tsp - red chilli powder
• 1tsp - coriander powder
• 1/2tsp - salt or according to taste
• 1tbsp - coriander, chopped
• 2tsp - oil
• 1tsp - cumin seeds
• 1 - onion, small chopped
• 2-3 - green chilli, chopped
• 1tsp - ginger paste
• 1cup - breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying the kebabs
METHOD:
• Rinse chickpeas throughly under running
water.
• Transfer the chickpeas to a bowl and soak
them overnight in 3 cups of water. By the
morning, the chickpeas will swell and double
in size.
• Drain that water and rinse the chickpeas once
again under running water.
• Add the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and
add enough water to cover them.
• Add salt and oil to the chickpeas, mix well to
combine and cook over medium flame for 20-
25 minutes. Chana Kabab
• Drain the water from the cooked chickpeas
and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
• Mash some of the black chickpeas with a
potato masher.
• Boil the potatoes, peel the outer skin and
mash them.
• Add mashed potatoes to the chickpeas and
mix well with the fork.
• Add mango powder, red chilli powder,
coriander powder, salt and chopped fresh
coriander, to the potato mixture and mix well
again. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy base fry pan over medium
flame.
• Add cumin seeds, when they start to splatter,
add chopped onions, chopped green chilies
and ginger paste, sauté for 3-4 minutes or
until the onions are translucent.
• Add this onion mixture to the chickpea
mixture. Mix until well blended.
• Add in breadcrumbs, mix until thoroughly
blended.
• To make the kebabs; grease your hands with
little oil, take a hand full of kabab mixture and
shape it into a round disk (kabab).
• Repeat the process until all the kebabs have
been assembled.
• Heat oil (in tablespoons) in a skillet over
medium flame.
• Add chickpea kababs to the skillet and
shallow fry them until both the sides are
golden brown and crisp. It will take about 2-3
minutes on each side.
• Transfer kebabs onto a kitchen paper towel.
• Repeat the process until all the kababs are
done.
• Serve with a cup of tea and a chutney on the
side.
• Serves - 5-6
Green Chutney
Ingredients:
• 1cup - coriander leaves
• 1inch - ginger
• 8 - garlic cloves
• 6-8 - green chillies
• 2tbsp - lemon juice
• 1 - tomato, large
METHOD:
• Grind everything together into
a fine paste using little water if
needed in tablespoons.
Kala chana curry
INGREDIENTS:
• 1cup - black chickpeas (kala chana)
• 1tsp - oil
• 1/2tsp - salt
• 2cups - water
• 1/2tsp - asafoetida
• 1tsp - cumin seeds
• 1 - onion, large
• 6 - garlic cloves
• 2inch - ginger piece
• 3-4 - green chillies
• 1/2tsp - red chilli powder
• 1tsp - kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/2tsp - turmeric powder
• 1tsp - coriander powder
• 2 - tomatoes, medium
• 1/2tsp - garam masala powder
• 1/2tsp - salt or according to taste
• 2tbsp - oil
• Fresh coriander
METHOD:
• Rinse chickpeas throughly under running
water then transfer them to a bowl.
• Soak the chickpeas overnight in 3 cups of
water. By the morning, the chickpeas will
swell and double in size.
• Drain that water and rinse the chickpeas
once again under running water.
• Add the chickpeas in a pressure cooker
followed by oil, salt and water and pressure
cook them for about 20-25 minutes on
medium flame (to check if the chickpeas are
cooked; for that chickpeas should be soft and
you should be able to crush them with two
fingers). Set aside.
• Meanwhile in a fry pan add 2 tablespoons of
oil and heat it over medium flame.
• Add asafoetida, stir, add cumin seeds and
sauté for few seconds.
• Peel, wash and grate onions then add them to
the frypan; sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the
onions are dark brown in colour.
• In a blender add the ginger, garlic and green
chillies with 2-3 tbsps of water and blitz to
a paste.
• Add ginger paste to the onions and sauté for
2-3 minutes stirring continuously.
• Lower the flame and add red chilli powder,
kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and
coriander powder, mix well with a splash of
water.
• Wash and chop tomatoes, then add them
to the masala, sauté for 2-3 minutes over
medium flame or until oil comes on top.
• Add onion masala to the cooked chickpeas,
give a good mix and add water to make
gravy (add more or less water according to
your choice of preferred gravy).
• Add garam masala powder and season with
salt (do remember we already have added
salt in it while boiling the chickpeas).
• Pressure cook chickpeas for another 2-3
minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve with rice or preferably roti
• Serves 3-4
Why coconut oil is so beneficial for our skin and hair
Coconut oil has been used in
India since ancient times.
This marvel oil is a one-stop
solution to many concerns related
to health, nutrition or beauty. This
oil has gained a lot of popularity
recently because of its touted health
benefits.
People these days are using
coconut oil for almost everything,
from smoothies to bullet coffee,
from oil pulling to cosmetic and
what not. Coconut oil is a plantbased
vegan form of oil which is
made by pressing the fat from the
white meat (fruit part) inside the
matured coconuts. About 84 percent
of its calories come from saturated
fat. Also, coconut oil contains 50
percent of lauric acid, which makes
the oil more hydrating and antimicrobial.
Coconut oil for hair
Provides deep condition and
tames the frizz- Coconut oil is a
great hair conditioner.
That is why it is used in many
hair conditioner products both
commercially and cosmetically as
it can easily penetrate the strands
and provides deep conditioning. The
weekly application of coconut oil
can prevent protein loss from hair
(keratin).
Therefore, it is a great source to
provide deep hair nourishment. You
can also straightaway use coconut
oil as a frizz-fighting serum post
hair wash.
Adds that extra shine- The
application of a small amount of
organic virgin coconut oil onto the
ends of the hair will add a natural
shine. Remember to apply the oil
cautiously without making your hair
look greasier.
Minimises dandruff- Coconut
oil can help lower the levels of
yeast on the hair scalp that causes
inflammation, flaking and scalp
irritation associated with dandruff.
Try minimising the problem with
ultra-moisturisation of hair by
massaging with coconut oil weekly.
Prevents hair loss and hair
thinning- As coconut oil is a great
source of vitamin E and fatty acids,
so it prevents hair loss and hair
thinning.
It also prevents premature greying
of hair.
DIY Coconut Hair Mask
Coconut oil and aloe vera hair
mask- This mask is a great food for
hair. All you have to do is to take
coconut oil for the hair length and
add 1-2 tablespoon of fresh aloe
vera gel to the warm oil. Massage it
gently, and wash after 30-45 minutes
with a mild shampoo. Your hair will
be lustrous like never before.
Coconut oil for ski
Coconut oil is a blessing for the
skin as well. It has the potentiality of
treating many skin allergies:
For a clear and nourished skin- As
now we know that coconut oil has
natural antibacterial, antifungal and
moisturizing properties (also rich in
Vitamin E), it can be used as a night
moisturizer to get clean and clear
skin without any harsh chemicals
to the skin. Can be used as an eye
cream-
If you struggle from under eye
issues like dark circles, puffy-baggy
under eye, dehydrated under eyes
or under eye wrinkles, then coconut
oil is the one solution for all these
problems.
This pocket friendly solution will
not only be kind to your wallets but
is also kind to your skin. (Secret
tip – if you want fancy thick
eyebrows and lashes, just massage
the brows and lashes very gently
with a drop of coconut oil daily
before going to bed.) Cure many
skin allergies- Coconut is known
for both healing and curing many
skin allergies like, eczema, psoriasis
(which is an autoimmune disorder)
etc. for its high levels of linoleic
acid.
DIY Mask For skin
Take 1-2 teaspoon of coconut
oil and add 1 teaspoon of manuka
honey or normal honey to it. Apply
it on a dry face and rinse the face
post 15 minutes of the application.
You will get a naturally glowing and
radiant skin instantly.