a really superb chickpea dish (and no, I’m not addicted)
I swear, I am totally capable of leaving my blog for four days. I am NOT addicted to this blog. I am merely… devoted. To you, my readers! And before I head off in the morning for a lovely holiday sans computer, I thought I’d underline what turned out to be John’s favorite side dish ever. He was insatiable, and since I’d taken a fairly good photograph of it, I can post it to inspire you. And then… I’m really leaving. I swear. And I’ll be fine. Goodbye. I think…
Warm Chickpea Salad with Feta and Rocket
(serves 4 as a small side dish or 2 as a lunch salad)
4 tbsps olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, minced
2 tsps mild curry powder
2 soup-size cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 500 grams drained weight)
juice of 1 lemon (this suits my lemon crazed family, but cut down if you like)
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled into bite-size pieces
2 cups rocket, loosely packed
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet or saucepan and fry the garlic and onion gently till soft. Add the curry powder and cook for another minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. It is essential to cook the curry to avoid the bitterness that can come from merely adding it raw, as it were, to the dish.
Add the chickpeas and the lemon juice and more olive oil if the mixture seems too dry, and cook very gently for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the feta cheese and toss well till the cheese is warmed. Tip the whole lot into a large bowl and toss with the rocket, then season and serve.
