Chickpea tacos is a great upgrade to the traditional Indian dish - chana masala.
Consider this - A typical yummy vegetarian Indian lunch would be chapathi with chana masala. But who has time to brown onions and simmer sauces? Try this easy chana masala taco instead - It is quick, it is healthy and most importantly, it is finger-licking delicious!!
My inspiration - I looovvveee Mexican tacos with pinto beans. This is my Indian-Mexican spin using chickpeas and our very own, delicious Indian spice - chana masala.
Time Upgrade
Forget all the onion cutting, crying and sauteing :). All you need is to flavor the chickpeas are ginger-garlic paste, Indian spices and herbs.
This is all you need to transform the bland can of chickpeas -> a yummy chana masala filling
You would have chopped tomatoes anyway for chana masala. But instead of a simmering sauce, we will make a fresh salsa with the tomatoes instead.
Lemon Juice + Salt = Mighty Flavoring
The rest of the time you would have spent on chopping, browning onions etc, you can use it to build a choice of nice veggie garnishes that is healthy and fresh and crunchy.
Pre washed lettuce just needs a squeeze of lemon and salt to give a crunchy, healthy taco topping
Make a taco bar with various veggies and I promise you your kids will go crazy for it. Kids love fresh veggies, more than you care to admit.
Health Upgrade
The traditional combination of having just chapathis with chana is quite carb heavy.
Let’s review the numbers:
- Whole grain, wheat flour (for chapathi) - Carbs -80%, fats - 5%, protein - 15%
- Chickpeas - Carbs - 68%, Fats - 13%, protein -19%
We vegetarians are very proud of stating chickpeas as a high protein source. And, yes, that’s true…. buuuttt, it still has plenty of carbs.
Compare that to a side dish made with fish or meat -> and the carbohydrate level drops almost to zero. So, a meal solely of 3 chapathis and a bowl of chana has quite a bit of carbs.
For normal kids and adults, that’s a totally healthy meal. However, if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, how can you modify the meal to make it low-glycemic? Increasing the proportion of of veggies, especially in raw form, will bump up the fiber levels of the meal. This will slow down the rate of absorption and help avoid sugar spikes after the meal.
Step-by-Step Pictures
Add Ginger Garlic paste to a hot pan with oil
Add spices to oil
Add 1 can of chickpeas and smash roughly with a potato masher
Garnish with chopped coriander
Now assemble the chapathi/ tacos with variety of assortments
Taco fillings - Tomato salsa, Avocado with lemon juice+ salt, lettuce with lemon juice + salt, raita and chana
Assemble your fillings on a chapathi or store bought tortilla
Or if your mom or grandmom is simply aghast at the idea of stuffing a taco in her mouth, you always have the traditional option 🙂
Recipe
- 1 Can Chickpeas
- 1/2 tsp Chana Masala Powder
- 1/4 tsp Dried Mango Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 Tomatoes Finely Chopped
- 2-3 Splashes of lemon
- Salt as required
- 1 Pre Washed Lettuce packet
- 2-3 Splashes of lemon
- Salt as required
- 2-3 Avocado Chopped
- 2-3 Splashes of lemon
- Salt As required
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Measure the spices and add them to a bowl. Get the ginger garlic paste ready. Heat oil, add ginger garlic paste, saute in oil for 30 seconds -1 min.
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Add spices to the oil and saute for a few seconds. Don't let it burn.
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Add a can of chickpeas. Let it come to a boil. Mash it well with a potato masher. Add salt to taste. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
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Prepare individual salsa (lettuce, tomato, avocado) in separate containers.
To assemble the taco, layer the chapathi or tortilla with chana masala base and your favorite salsas/veggies.
Enjoy
Thoughts/Comments
Have you made something similar? Share your thoughts and experience down below. I would love to hear from you!!
Post your comments here...I look forward to it!!