Onion and Mint Raita with Chickpeas

Raita is a yogurt based condiment that is served chilled. It goes well with spicy Indian dishes because of the cooling effect that raita has on the palate. Typically, a raita contains little more than yogurt and vegetables, but the following recipe, adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, includes chickpeas, which makes this raita a little more substantial than most. It's also a great way to use up leftover cooked chickpeas if you have them on hand, and like any raita it's delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day, whether as a light lunch or picnic food or a wonderful side for dinner.

Onion and Mint Raita with Chickpeas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World Cuisine: Indian Published on August 9, 2007 Very simple, creamy, refreshing and delicious yogurt and chickpea dish for warm weather lunches or picnics Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/3 cup dried chickpeas (1 cup cooked) 1 cup plain whole fat yogurt 4 green onions, cut into very thin rounds 1/3 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a small saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the chickpeas are tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Combine the yogurt, green onions, salt, pepper and spices. Whisk with a fork until smooth and creamy. Add the mint and cooked chickpeas and stir to combine. Serve chilled Makes 2 to 4 side servings