Indian Style Chickpea Tacos with stir fried Brussels Sprouts and spiced Onions and Radish- #glutenfr
When you are starving, want to eat healthy, but also want to feel super satisfied, then these tacos will do it. I'm on a detox for a few days, and wanted to avoid gluten and also eat more veggies etc. But being a lover of breads, I really was craving something substantial, that at least made me feel like I was getting some good bready carbs :-).
These tacos are the popular "Besan Chilra" in India, or Chickpea crepes. My mom often made these for breakfast, and I loved eating them with some spicy mint chutney. They are super easy to make, and you really don't need anything other than Chickpea flour and water. I've spruced them up with some other ingredients, but you can keep it simple if you like.
For the taco filling, I simply used the everyday Indian spices to make a stir fry of Brussels Sprouts. You could really use any other vegetable that you like. The spice combination works magically with almost anything.
And to top it of, I needed something extra tangy and spicy in lieu of traditional salsa, so I made some "chatpata" (hot and sour) onions and radish. For this you will need the spice "Chaat Masala" which is available in all Indian stores. It contains a blend of spices including mango powder and Black Himalayan Salt which render it a tangy/salty/spicy taste. The onions and radish add another layer of flavor and texture to the tacos.
Servings - Makes about 4-5 small tacos
Time -
Chickpea Tacos - 15 minutes
Brussels Sprouts - 20 minutes
Spicy Onion Mix - 5 minutes
Put it together - 30 seconds
Total Time - About 40 minutes
RECIPE -
CHICKPEA TACOS
Ingredients
1 cup Chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
A handful of watercress (optional)
1/4 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
Healthy oil for cooking
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the chickpea flour and water, until a nice runny paste is formed.
2. Mix in the salt, watercress and caraway seeds.
3. Heat a flat pan or crepe pan on medium-high heat. Add a little oil and wait about a minute or until the oil is hot.
4. Pour in a ladle of the chickpea batter onto the flat pan, and slightly lift the pan and tilt it in different directions to evenly spread the batter around to form a roundish shape.
5. Let the chickpea crepe cook for a minute or so, and then using a flat shaped spatula, flip the crepe. Let it cook on the other side for another minute or so. Once the crepe is a nice golden brown remove from the heat and place on a separate plate.
6. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter. You can make the chickpea crepes as large or as small as your like.
STIR FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Ingredients
2 tablespoons healthy oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon Nigella Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds
1 Green chili or Jalapeno, diced (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground Turmeric
About 4 cups of shredded Brussels Sprouts
1/2 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
Directions
1. Heat oil in a wok or pan for about a minute on medium-high heat.
2. Add in all the seeds, green chili and turmeric and sautè for about 30 seconds.
3. Add in the onions and cook for about 8 minutes or until it is a nice reddish brown color.
3. Add in the Brussels Sprouts and mix in well with the spices.
4. Turn heat to low, cover the pan with the lid and let the Brussels Sprouts cook for about 5--7 minutes. Check on them every couple of minutes and give a little stir to prevent any burning.
5. Once the Brussels Sprouts are cooked, mix in the salt and remove from the heat.
SPICED ONIONS AND RADISH
Ingredients
Sliced Onion and Radish (about a cup)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala (based on your taste)
1/4 teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and keep refrigerated until use.
FINALLY - PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Take a chickpea taco. Spoon some of the Brussels Sprouts onto it. And then top with the spiced onions and radish. Roll it up and eat. If you like, you can drizzle some Mint chutney as well to spice it up even more. Enjoy!!
