Chickpea, papad & coconut salad with tamarind-lime dressing
SERVES 4-6 / PREPARATION 25 MINUTES
Tamarind brings not only sourness but also sweetness to this crunchy salad. I like to buy the solid blocks of tamarind paste found at Asian supermarkets, tear off a chunk and soak it in boiling water before passing it through a sieve to remove the seeds. You’ll get better flavour this way, but the more readily available (and easier!) tamarind puree can be used instead, I won’t tell. Make sure you mix and dress this salad right before you plan to eat, otherwise you risk the crunchy bits going soggy.
TAMARIND-LIME DRESSING
2 tablespoons tamarind puree 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon fennel seeds,
lightly toasted and finely ground 2 tablespoons lime juice 4 tablespoons olive oil pinch dried chilli flakes
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained well ½ medium red onion, finely sliced large handful (approx 1 packed cupful) coriander leaves
and tender stems, roughly chopped
½ cup lightly toasted coconut chips
½ cup lightly toasted cashews, roughly chopped ready-to-eat mini papad (pappadums), roughly crushed
(I used about half of a 75g packet)
To make the tamarind-lime dressing, combine the tamarind puree, maple syrup, garlic, fennel seeds and lime juice in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Any leftover dressing will store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For the salad, combine the drained chickpeas, sliced onion and coriander in a bowl and mix well. Add coconut chips, cashews and crushed papad and enough dressing to coat. Mix, taste, add more salt if needed and serve immediately.
With the memories still lingering in my mind of fragrant curries, sambol and appum (hoppers), it seems only natural that my recipes give a convincing nod towards the vibrant flavours of this island nation.