2 Tsaoko Cardamom
1 cup Chickpeas – dry
50g Mushrooms – mild flavoured (weights are for fresh)
1 Onion – brown or white (small sized)
2 Tablespoons Oil (for frying onion and mushroom)
1/2 teaspoon Apricot Kernel Paste
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 cup Mint Leaves (chopped)
1/4 cup Coriander Leaves (chopped)
1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1 pinch Salt
- Soak chickpeas overnight in sufficient water (water should stand an inch or two over the chickpeas). Soak at least 8 hours.
- Cook chickpeas in sufficient water and Tsaoko Cardamom until the chickpeas are soft (about 3 to 4 hours at a simmer).
- When the chickpeas are cooked, drain them and set aside. Remove all Tsaoko Cardamom.
- Slice the mushrooms and chop the onion fairly finely.
- Fry the onion in oil until it begins to turn clear. Then add mushrooms and fry until both onion and mushrooms are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Turn heat to low and add apricot kernel paste, black pepper, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes (until the leaves are wilted). Remove from heat.
- Add rice wine vinegar and salt to onion/mushroom mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Drain chickpeas thoroughly.
- In large bowl, mix onion/mushroom mixture and drained chickpeas.
- Cool and serve cold.
Answering your questions:
- The amount of salt and vinegar in this recipe is only an indication. Both are used in period to 'even' the flavours of the food. I usually test the flavours of the dish during step 7. This way I know if the 'dressing' is going to be okay or not. Also, I will adjust the flavours for those I am cooking for.
- So, you do not have 24 hours to make this dish, can you use canned chickpeas? I have a hack for those days when I would really like to have this dish for dinner but do not have the time to soak the chickpeas and I do not feel like dragging the pressure cooker out. (Just don't tell Master Drake...) If you are going to use canned chickpeas, you will need to open the cans into a pasta strainer and wash the chickpeas thoroughly. This will help to decrease the 'tin flavour' of the chickpeas. Allow them to drain fully. The next part of this hack is to add the Tsaoko Cardamom flavour. You will not be boiling the chickpeas, so to get the flavour, you will need to bruise the Tsaoko Cardamom pods and then remove the seeds from the inside. Discard the pods. Grind the seeds completely. Add the seeds to the onion/mushroom mixture when you add the other spices. Follow the above directions from step 4.
- Wait! You are using Apricot Kernel? Isn't that toxic?!? I will upload my research into Apricot Kernel next week. Until then, the answer is yes and no. In a high enough quantity, Apricot Kernel can be toxic to humans; however, by frying it off and in the amounts used in the dish, you are perfectly safe (well, unless someone is allergic to apricot). Be aware though that raw Apricot Kernel is no longer sold in Australia or New Zealand.