Recipe Tuesday: Curried Chickpea Salad

I’ve been on a curried chickpea kick lately, I can’t even explain it.  In my attempt to find a new way to make them, I came across this recipe from Whole Foods.  I’ve made a few tweaks, but I think you’ll love it!

Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about curry for a second.  Some of you may shy away from anything curry because you assume that anything with curry is hot or spicy.  That couldn’t be farther from the truth.  There are dry curry powders that come in various temperatures — unless I am specifically wanting something hot and spicy, I use a mild curry powder.  At times I use a red or yellow curry paste which has a little more heat but isn’t by any means, hot.

To be clear, curry is generally a combination of different spices including turmeric, coriander and cumin.  Depending on the region, it can contain other spices like various chilies, ginger, garlic or red pepper.  The wonderful thing about curry is its versatility — it pairs well with beans, lentils, vegetables, fish/seafood and chicken.

Additionally, some studies have shown the common form of curry contains valuable health benefits, including the prevention of cancer, protection against heart disease, reduce Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, ease pain and inflammation, boost bone health, protect the immune system from bacterial infections,  and increase the liver’s ability to remove toxins from the body.

So maybe you give curry a try — what do you have to lose?  You may stumble upon a new seasoning that can change up so many of your every day dishes.

Check out the recipe below AND try this one too.  If you’re adventurous and like a little heat, try this recipe and use red curry paste.  Yummy!