Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles
Try this Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Beet Noodles recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 3-4 large beets peeled blade c, noodles trimmed
- 1/2 ed onion finely chopped
- 7 dried apricots small cubed
- 1/4 easpoon crushed red pepper
- 1 14 oz can chickpeas rinsed, drained, patted dry
- 1 14 oz diced tomatoes no salt added
- Carbohydrate 0.881394346871701 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.30128087414291 g
- Fiber 0.166999922884066 g
- Protein 0.195870503733729 g
- Saturated Fat 0.453294241174362 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (8g)
- Sodium 20.0693767962335 mg
- Sugar 0.714394423987634 g
- Trans Fat 0.100586303414237 g
- Calories 33 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Lay out the beet noodles evenly in a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 10-15 minutes or until wilted.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the rest of the olive oil and once it heats, add in garlic. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the onions, lemon juice, apricots, garam masala, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until onion begins to slightly brown.
- Add in the chickpeas and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, to reduce.
- Once reduced, stir in the mint.
- Divide the beet noodles onto 4 plates and top each with hearty scoops of the chickpea mixture.
Earthy, roasted beet strands hold a vibrant, spiced tomato and chickpea sauce that balances the natural sweetness of dried fruit with pungent warmth. Root vegetables present distinct textural challenges when cooked alongside high-moisture legumes. Avoiding common preparation pitfalls ensures a balanced plate without excess liquid or scorched aromatics.
Roasting Beet Noodles Without Excess Moisture
Spreading spiralized roots in a single layer on a baking tray prevents steaming. Operating the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit drives off cellular water efficiently within 15 minutes. Overcrowding the pan traps steam, leaving the vegetable limp rather than tender-crisp. Patting canned chickpeas completely dry with paper towels before adding them to the skillet prevents unwanted splattering and encourages proper sauce reduction.Controlling Garlic Bitterness in Hot Oil
Minced garlic scorches quickly in olive oil heated over medium-high flames. Limiting the initial garlic cook time to 30 seconds preserves volatile aromatic compounds before sulfurous, bitter notes develop. Introducing onions immediately after the garlic lowers pan temperature, halting Maillard browning reactions before they turn acrid.Balancing Spice Compounds
Cumin and garam masala contain fat-soluble essential oils that release maximum aroma when bloomed briefly in warm oil with the red pepper flakes and diced onions. Simmering the tomato and chickpea mixture for 5 to 7 minutes concentrates the natural glutamates in the tomatoes, thickening the sauce without requiring added starches.
