Quick Salad recipe – Thanksgiving Special

W Winters or summers, salads have no restriction to be cherished. I relish salad always since predominately I know they are healthiest form of eating vegetables and getting vitamins and minerals. But what fascinates me the most is it not just healthy, fresh and rejuvenating but it also can be in just few minutes. So quick to make and eat healthy.

Since, Thank-giving day is round the corner and a season of holidays, we need to spend more time with family and cook healthy for them. This is one recipe which can be transformed into so many variations creating new flavours to suit best to your taste buds, (written below in Notes*).

I’m here sharing a basic version rich in Vitamin C and nice sweet-sour crunchy flavours. This is a salad I often make and also make sure that I eat every alternate day.
Interesting part is we are adding garbanzo beans, the chickpeas and not the chicken ;)
So I’m sure all my dear veg-food lovers will love this easy recipe.

For two pax you will require...

INGREDIENTS:

• Chickpeas/ garbanzo beans: 50 grams (Soaked overnight or for at least 6hrs latter boiled till soft.)
• Black gram: 50 grams (Soaked overnight or for at least 6hrs latter boiled till soft.)
• Cucumber: 1cup (peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes)
• Onion: 1nos. (diced and washed in water)
• Capsicum: ½ cup. (dry roast the capsicum)
• Green chillies: 1nos (fine chopped, OPTIONAL)
• Coriander/Cilantro leaves: 4-5 twigs (fine chopped)
• Orange slice: 4-5 slices (peel, remove the seeds and cut them into small chunks)
• Britannia NutriChoice Cream Cracker biscuits: 4-5nos (OPTIONAL)

SEASONING:

• Salt : to taste
• Sugar: ½ teaspoon
• Lemon juice: 1 table spoon

PREPARATION:

• Wash and soak chickpeas/ garbanzo beans overnight or for at least 6hrs in water.
• Latter boil them or pressure cook them until soft in water with 2 teaspoon of salt. And keep it into the freeze to cool down.
• Now peel the cucumber and dice it. Keep aside.
• Same with onion cut them into dice shape and wash it in water so that the bitterness of onion gets less.
• Take a capsicum/bell pepper, force a fork into it and directly roast on the heat. Keep turning it holding the fork. Roast until you find its skin bit of burning. Cool it down. Then scrap the burnt skin with same fork or knife. It is to give just a bit hint of roasting taste in the salad.
• Chop fine the green chilli. You might like to deseed it to make the salad less hot.
• Take few slices of oranges. Remove the skin, peel it, de-seed it and cut them roughly into small chunks.
• Fine chop the coriander leaves.

METHOD:

• Mix well all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Squeeze the lemon.
• Add the seasoning to taste.
• Take the biscuits, lightly crush them and add them into the same mix of bowl. Mix all and Voila! Serve cold or room temperature.

NOTE:

• You may use one ounce of Chickpeas/ garbanzo beans rinsed and drained from the can.
• I have not used even a drop of oil and any kind of strong spices into it and that was the target to keep it simple, fresh and healthy
• You may like to use carrots, boiled potato, few chopped mint leaves or few crushed pistachio nuts or walnuts.
• You may take any and ‘n’ number of lentils, boiled or sprouted.
• The same recipe with a tint of cream will give a rich flavour.
• I sometimes like to add two spoon of curd.
• You may like to add sweet tomato sauce if serving to kids.
• Britannia NutriChoice Cream Cracker biscuits are amazing, adds crunch and texture to whole salad. It is with no added colors and flavorings for taste. It is this neutral taste that makes it an ideal choice to be consumed with hot beverages, dips, chutneys, and accompaniments. So keep creating new recipes.

Change the ingredients just a bit and you will find a total new dish with same fresh flavours and colors. Cooking is all about just cooking healthy. Innovation in cooking recipe comes naturally to suit best your taste buds.

“I also take this opportunity to wish all my dear Blogger friends a Very happy Thanksgiving Day! You have always supported me and gracefully suggested me the best giving me a comfort and creativity simultaneously.

Thank you for being there for me!

I also take this opportunity to accept the beautiful  "the perfect poet award" for the poem "She's the Star". It was conducted by Thursday Poets Rally Week 56 (Nov 17-23, 2011). It's an infinite pleasure and honor to receive it! Heartily Happy and grateful. My Thanksgiving Week have already started with so much of surprises, hope and wish you all the same joy and grace!