Looking for a quick and healthy salad? Count us in. Eating healthy has become quite a task when you are surrounded by easy-to-grab junk wherever you go. But fret not, because we have the perfect solution for you. Salads are the easiest way to add nutrition to your diet. There is not much cook time and all of us mostly have the ingredients on hand. For this salad recipe especially, Manjula Jain from Manjula's kitchen on Youtube utilises the benefit of chickpea (chana) and tofu for the ultimate protein-packed salad recipe.
Health Benefits of Chana:
Chickpeas (chana) are extremely high in protein and make for an excellent meat substitute if you wish to go down that route. They have a high amount of vitamins and fibre and offer numerous health benefits - including weight management and improved digestion. They are packed with nutrients and are an excellent snack to curb your appetite while simultaneously filling you up for hours.
Health Benefits of Tofu:
Tofu is another protein-rich food that contains all essential amino acids. Free of cholesterol, tofu is an excellent ingredient to include in your plant-based diet. It is a valuable source of healthy fats, carbs and even vitamins. Its low-calorie counts makes it an excellent food item for weight watchers. Tofu is soy-based, so consuming it in moderation is always recommended.
Here is a delicious salad recipe that is brimming with the goodness of both chickpea and tofu.
Chickpea (Chana) And Tofu Salad Recipe:
For dressing:
Homemade dressing is an essential part of this salad bowl. There is nothing like a drizzle of freshly made dressing to amp up the taste of your salad. To whip up this dressing, you would need some lemon juice, roasted sesame seeds, olive oil, nutritional yeast, black pepper, salt, shredded ginger, sugar and fresh orange juice. This might seem like a lot for just a dressing but don't worry, you can always make it in excess and store it in the fridge for future use. It has a shelf life of around two weeks without any change in the taste when stored properly. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend till you reach the desired consistency.
For Tofu:
Wash and pat dry some firm tofu before grilling it up in a greased pan. Make sure they are light brown on both sides before you add some salt, pepper, shredded ginger and lemon juice. Stir it well and make sure you do not use high heat to prevent the tofu from burning.
(Also Read: 11 Delicious Tofu Recipes | Easy Tofu Recipes)
For Chickpea (Chana):
Fry your chickpeas (chana) in one tablespoon of olive oil and add some black pepper, salt and lemon juice. Stir and cook for about two minutes till they change their colour a bit. Again, make sure none of this is done on high heat or it will ruin the chickpeas.
Assembly:
To assemble your salad bowl, you will need lettuce and spinach leaves, pears, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and some oranges. Add in your dressing give the bowl a good stir before you add your chickpeas (chana) and tofu. Finish it up by drizzling some more dressing and there you go! Your delicious bowl of nutrition is ready to be gobbled down.
Salads totally depend upon your personal taste. You can always substitute one thing for the other if that suits your palette more. There is no hard and fast rule to assemble your salad, but make sure you do not go overboard on any ingredient. Excess of anything is always bad!
Watch the full recipe video of protein-rich chickpea tofu salad here: