Chickpea- Roasted Garlic Fries AND Masala & Meatballs Giveaway

Chickpea- garlic fries

Chickpea- Garlic Fries

This post is going to be short and sweet. Sweet as my friend Asha, whose cookbook I am introducing today via this post. I’ve said this over and again, every time I am asked about the joys of being a food blogger, its the people that I get to meet through my blog is what actually brings real joy to me. I have been lucky to be doing this for a while and feel truly blessed to have made friends along the way. Some really talented, beautiful souls and Asha is one such fellow food blogger who I can proudly call a friend now. And that talented, beautiful friend has just released her first cookbook and I couldn’t be more proud.

Chickpea- Garlic Fries

Just like many of us Asha grew up in a typical middle class Indian family where her mom’s and grandmothers cooking directed her through her formative period in life. Carrying the values of her family and heritage she grew up, found her soulmate and built her home in the US where she is raising a beautiful family of four. And while doing that she wrote Masala & Meatballs  a cookbook packed with surprising recipes that are bursting with flavor, masterful photography and heartfelt stories of growing up in India and then raising a family in the United States.

Chickpea- Garlic Fries

I have been cooking with her cookbook for weeks now so I can tell you, there hasn’t been a single recipe that has disappointed me and I have cooked quite a few. Sharing one such recipe with you today. Chickpea- Roasted Garlic Fries. Being inspired by a few Indian recipes and the use of chickpea flour in the cuisine making a lot of the dishes vegan and gluten free, Asha created these chickpea polenta fries. These are surprisingly so simple and easy to make and boy, do they taste good! I might have inhaled more than a few while just cooking and shooting with them so an announcement in public serve- double the quantity if you are making for a family of four because you will end up eating half of it before the kids even know!Chickpea- Garlic Fries

Asha has graciously offered to giveaway a free copy of her cookbook Masala & Meatballs to one lucky Indian Simmer reader. All you have to do is drop a message in the comment section below and let us know why you’d like the cookbook. You can have extra chances to win your copy is you follow Indian Simmer on Instagram and/or Facebook. Feel free to leave a comment there too!

We will announce a lucky winner on the Valentine’s day. Entries open till Feb. 13th 11:59pm. Giveaway open to the residents of USA and Canada.

Chickpea- garlic fries

 

Ingredients:

1 cup (240g) Greek-style yogurt

1 1/2 cups (355ml) water

1 cup (120g) chickpea flour

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1/3 cup (35g) grated Pecorino Romano

1 head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed and mashed

1/2 cup (8g) cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 tsp mango powder

1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil

Method:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the yogurt, water, chickpea flour, sugar, turmeric, black pepper and salt. Whisk the mixture to make a smooth batter without any lumps. Check for seasoning.

Add the yogurt- chickpea mixture to a large, heavy- bottomed nonstick pan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and has the consistency of soft dough. Quickly add the Pecorino, mashed roasted garlic, cilantro, toasted ground cumin and mango powder. Mix well. Remove from the heat and transfer to an 8-inch (20-cm) greased baking pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Put the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to set well.

Once the chickpea mixture is set, cut it into desired-sized squares. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the chickpea squares in batches and sear over medium heat until the crust is crispy on all sides. Serve with the sauce.

 

 

14 Comments

  1. I love to win her cookbook !! This recipe looks so unique and amazing.. I want to try this out .. I bet there are more such amazing recipes in the book !! Love to win

  2. Have been following both you and Asha for a while. The food and the photography are inspiring and drool producing! I look forward to both your posts on Instagram. While I love my tech, I still have a romance with books and absolutely love cookbooks. Would love to get my hands on this gorgeous cookbook which will be a delight to the eyes as well as inspirational with the wonderful recipes.

  3. I have read your post for the 10th time today. Every single time I read it, I have a wide silly grin on my face. You seriously inspire so many and your graciousness is applaudable.
    Thanks for the words, pictures and your approval, means a heck lot. Stunning post Prerna!!
    Hugs!
    xoxo

  4. Would love to get this cookbook! It’s so hard to find a reliable Indian cookbook, your reviews have me wanting this one!

  5. The fries look amazing! I would love to get my hands on that cookbook! It’s so hard to know which cookbooks are good especially Indian ones and I totally trust your review.

  6. My mom’s name is Asha! I would love a copy of this cookbook to help me cook amazing Indian food like she does 🙂

  7. I love, love, love Indian food. My boyfriend knows the surefire way to cheer me up when I am grumpy is to offer to pick up Indian take out on the way home. Indian Simmer has been a great way for me to learn how to cook Indian food at home, and has pushed me to expand my spice cabinet. This website has a way of making Indian cooking look so approachable to nervous novices. I love it!

  8. I would love to win this cookbook! My mom’s name is actually Asha 🙂 and though I grew up eating Indian food on a regular basis I find it hard to make the seemingly time consuming dishes during the weekday after work. I don’t know how my mom did it but I’m sure having a book of recipes would be helpful to me!

  9. I’ve been following you for a while now and I really appreciate all your tutorials. I love Indian food and really want to learn how to make some dishes at home. I’ve already purchased some of the spices I see in your recipes. I would love to win a copy of the Masala & Meatballs book. It would be nice to have it right at my fingertips when I take the plunge. Thanks for the giveaway!

  10. The chickpea fries had me-would love to try out other recipes in her book. I wish I could wing it when I cook-I need measurements for everything!

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