Spiced Mango Chickpea Salad

This Mango Chickpea Salad bursts with flavor and juiciness, drawing inspiration from the vibrant street food of India. It’s a refreshing combination of corn, chickpeas, sweet mango, and crisp peppers, all topped with a bright and tangy dressing. 

Recipe and photo credit: Nabia Ahmad

Ingredients:

• 1 mango, chopped into cubes 
• 1 tomato, chopped into cubes 
• 1 cucumber, chopped into cubes 
• 1/2 cup orange bell peppers, chopped into cubes
•  1 /4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic, about 3-4 cloves 
• 1 green cardamom pod, cracked open 
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
• 1/2 teaspoon Spanish Paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 
• 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/2 cup of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup canned corn*, drained

Instructions:

1. Prep mango and all vegetables by washing and cutting them. 
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic, cardamom and fennel seeds.
3. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. To make the dressing, combine the now seasoned oil with Spanish paprika, turmeric, cumin, lemon juice, maple syrup, tamarind, and sea salt in a lidded jar. Shake well.
5. Place mango, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, corn, and chickpeas in a bowl.
6. Toss with dressing and enjoy! 

*Alternately, you can use fresh corn cut off the cob or frozen corn, defrosted.

Serves 2-3