Fresh Chana Salad

Our 13th birthday: I say, ‘our’ as I have a twin sister: the Seeta to my Geeta. 

Our didi, Anupama had planned a surprise lunch party for us at home, with all of our friends. When we reached home with a brigade of friends, the door was opened to welcome us into our Panchsheel home, with the most spectacular spread and decoration. In the dining room, what took centre stage was a beautiful poster hand-painted by our didi, filled with notes of love to her Ritu & Nitu, what we were fondly called at home. There were balloons, streamers, the works but what I still remember vividly is the spread of food that lay on our dining table. Our didi paid attention to the smallest of details, and the way she presented food just extended her warmth in a way I’ve never seen before. The same old bowls were looking brighter, the same old plates looked like snippets from a cookbook. That was her, and that was her always making every occasion memorable for us. 

One dish that I remember to this date is her fresh Chatpata Chana Salad - a dish that can be rechristened and called a Gluten-free, protein-rich Chick Pea Salad, today. It was fresh and tangy and the taste still lingers on. I’ve tried my hand at this using her recipe over the years. It’s a dish that’s so simple, yet so full of flavour. It’s a household favourite today and is whipped up every Rakshabandhan & Bhai Dooj.

Here is the recipe for you to try:

Fresh Chana Salad

Ingredients:

1. Boiled white chana/chickpea (cooled down)

2. Chopped onions 

3. Chopped tomatoes (without the seeds)

4. 100 gm of chopped cubes of paneer (you can replace this with Tofu as well)

5. Salt, pepper

6. Freshly squeezed lemon juice

7. Fresh coriander for garnishing

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, add freshly boiled & cooled white chana, onions, tomatoes and gently stir using a steel or wooden spoon

2. Then add in your choice of protein - paneer or tofu and give it another stir

3. Chill this mix in your fridge

4. At the time of serving, add salt, pepper, lemon juice and coriander, mix well

5. Serve cold
   

A protein-rich salad, that is so easy to make and takes no time to whip up. So for all your long days of work or even a nice family lunch, you can whip this up and make the most of it. It’s highly nutritious and retains all the natural properties of the ingredients with utmost simplicity. 

Hope you enjoy this one!