Tamarind-glazed Chickpea Salad Recipe
by Jenny Linford
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Easy
Tamarind pulp, from the tamarind tree, is an important flavouring in Indian cuisine, used to add a distinctive sourness to dishes, drinks and chutneys. In a British context, it is an important ingredient in tangy brown sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Inspired by Indian street food, this salad combines flavours and textures to vibrant effect.
The Kew Gardens Salad Book by Jenny Linford (Kew Publishing, £22)
Ingredients for Tamarind-glazed Chickpea Salad Serves: 4
- 3 walnut-sized pieces of tamarind pulp
- 75ml boiling water
- 1⁄2 tbsp oil
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1-1 1⁄2 tsp chilli powder
- 300g cooked chickpeas, rinsed if canned or jarred
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, dry-fried for 1-2 mins
- 1/3 cucumber, de-seeded and chopped into small pieces
- 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp very finely chopped red onion
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander
Tamarind-glazed Chickpea Salad
- First, make tamarind water to use for the glaze. Place the tamarind pulp in a heatproof jug and pour over hot water, stirring well. Set aside to infuse for at least 20 minutes. Strain the tamarind water through a tea strainer or small sieve, pressing down on the pulp with a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Use the spoon to scrape off the tamarind paste from the underside of the strainer and stir this flavourful paste into the brown tamarind water.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the garlic and fry over a low heat until it starts to brown. Add the tamarind water, sugar, salt and chilli. Bring to the boil and stir for 1 minute, so the mixture thickens into a syrupy glaze. Add in the chickpeas and stir for 1 minute.
- Transfer the chickpeas to a serving bowl. Sprinkle over the cumin seeds and stir to coat well.
- Mix in the cucumber and tomato and season with freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle over the red onion and coriander and serve immediately.
About the author
Jenny Linford is a London-based food writer and a long-standing member of the Guild of Food Writers. She has written more than fifteen books, including The Missing Ingredient: The Curious Role of Time in Food and Flavor, which explores time as the "universal, invisible ingredient" in the food we grow, make, and cook.
