Happy Monday guys!
This is by far one of the easiest recipes I've made and it's for one of my absolute favourite things. It has a rich blend of spicy and savoury. And the bulk of the work is in the chopping and after that it's as easy as throwing in all the spices with the chickpeas.
Avocados, the nutrient-dense fruit
You'll notice that I've used avocado oil in this recipe, and here's why. Avocado oil is made from the flesh of avocados, which is loaded with nutrients. For starters, avocados have more protein and more healthy fats than any other fruit, and they also have more potassium than a banana. Additionally, avocado oil is high in vitamins E, A and D, as well as magnesium and antioxidants.
Health benefits of avocado oil
As a result of all of these nutrients, some of the health benefits of avocado oil is that it aids in nutrient absorption in the body. In fact it can actually increase the body's ability to absorb certain other nutrients from other foods that you consume, making those foods healthier to eat. It contributes to eye health and cardiovascular health. It helps improve skin health and leads to smoother skin. And it's been shown to ease joint pain and improve gum health.
Avocado oil, the superior cooking oil
In this recipe I've used avocado oil because it has one of the highest smoke points compared to other oils. Well what does that mean? The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil will start to turn into free radicals, with are very bad for you to ingest.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are essentially a type of molecule found in foods that when ingested can cause damage to the cells in the body and can be cancer causing. Antioxidants, like vitamin C and vitamin E are very good nutrients to consume because they protect the body against free radicals. For a more detailed explanation about how free-radicals are formed click here.
The smoke point of avocado oil
So cooking with oils that can withstand high heat ensures that the oils will not be converted into free-radicals. And avocado oil has a high smoke point of 271 degrees C. Now compare that to other common cooking oils like sunflower oil (smoke point of 227 C), grape seed oil (smoke point of 216 C), extra virgin olive oil (smoke point of 207 C) and coconut oil (smoke point of 177 C).
Other nutritious superfoods in this recipe
This recipe also contains chickpeas, a.k.a garbanzo beans, which are packed with protein. Chickpeas are also great for weight loss as they increase satiety, that feeling of being full, which helps you to stop having the need to continue eating. Chickpeas are what's called a complex carb which breaks down slowly in the body. Compared to processed flour, pasta and white bread which are simple carbs, and break down very quickly in the body, giving a spike of energy and a subsequent crash. This means that chickpeas will not give you a spike in energy, or blood sugar, and are much healthier than simple carbs.
A few other awesome superfoods in this recipe are turmeric and ginger. For details on the health benefits of these click the corresponding links to my previous posts about them here:
Here's how I did it
Ingredients
1 can organic chickpeas (540 ml or 19 fl oz)
2 tbsp organic avocado oil
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
Toppings
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
Directions
Combine all your ingredients in a bowl except for the chickpeas and avocado oil.
Then take a frying pan or wok and add in your avocado oil. Heat up the pan on medium high heat. Then add in your onions and garlic. Let simmer for a minute to release the flavours. Then add in the remainder of your ingredients, ending with the chickpeas and their liquid. Cook for 5 minutes on medium high heat or until chickpeas are cooked through. And then serve on brown rice, top with cilantro and avocado and you're all done. (Brown rice should be prepared separately beforehand.)
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Recipe and photos are mine and original. Shot on iPhone 7 Plus.
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