Wild Rice with (Black)Garbanzo Beans
Here is some healthy, hearty, nutritious and elegant Wild Rice with (Black) Garbanzo Beans. This is such an easy and versatile dish. Meatless Mondays just got tastier.
Ingredients
- 1 packet Uncle Ben's Microwavable long grain and wild rice substitutions in Recipe Notes
- ½ cup Black Garbanzo beans Kala Chana; soaked overnight and pressure cooked. Reserve the water.
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes; adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds jeera
- 1 small zucchini; quartered
- 1 bell pepper capsicum cut into ½ inch square pieces
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- Cilantro
- Sunflower seeds
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package directions.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, once they splutter, lower the heat. Add red chilli flakes and garlic and fry for a few seconds.
- Add cooked garbanzo beans and salt. Stir.
- Add chopped spinach and let it wilt.
- Add the cooked rice to the garbanzo beans-spinach mix and stir to combine. (if you find it too dry, add a tablespoon of the reserve garbanzo beans water). Adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
- To the same skillet, add a little more oil and zucchini, bell pepper, and salt and saute till the vegetables are cooked to your preference. Toss the rice mixture back into the skillet and stir well to combine.
- Serve warm, garnished with sunflower seeds, lemon wedges, and cilantro.
Notes
1. Cooking chana on a stove top without a pressure cooker.
I never cook dried beans directly over a stove top. If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cook it on the stove top, but it will take a really long time to cook perfectly. I guess they would take anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hrs (maybe more). After soaking, drain the water and add fresh water. Bring the water and beans to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the beans till they are tender. Check for doneness by smashing the beans between your thumb and index finger - When it easily smashes, it is done.
2. Pressure cook chana;
Drain the soaked chana and add it to the pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Close the cooker and put the whistle on. Cook on high heat till the cooker lets out one whistle. Lower the heat to medium and pressure cook for another 20-25 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the steam escape on its own (about 5-8 minutes).
3. Use vegetables of your liking.
4. I do not over cook the vegetables, just enough to caramelize them. I like the vegetables to be juicy but still maintain the crunch (not mushy). Cook vegetables to your preference.
5. This can be served as a wholesome meal on its own, or as a warm salad.
6. A light squeeze of lemon juice helps perk up the dish.
7. I highly recommend using black garbanzo beans for the recipe, but in times of time-crunch, use (canned) garbanzo beans .
8. Instead of microwaveable rice, you could also use a microwaveable rice and quinoa mix. You could also use cooked brown rice or just plain quinoa for the recipe.
9.Leftovers can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave oven or a skillet.
10.Instead of serving the vegetables as side, you could also mix them in the rice-garbanzo mixture, especially when you plan to serve this as a warm salad.
10. Add any additional protein of your choice for added protein content.
11.In this recipe, keep in mind that you are adding salt in different phases of cooking.