Chana Masala & Quinoa Salad

If you’re looking for a great lunch box friendly recipe, look no further than this spicy chana masala and quinoa salad recipe. Packed full of fibre and protein, this meatless lunch will keep you going until you clock out of the office! Another perk is that it doesn’t contain leaves- less likely to wilt on your morning commute.

Cooking+prep time: 20 mins
Servings: 4-5 portions

Ingredients for the salad

• 1 x TRS 400g tin of chickpeas*

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp ready blended garlic and ginger paste*

• Pinch of salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin and chili pepper*

• ½ cup red onion, thinly diced

• 1 cup red cabbage, finely sliced

• 1 tomato, thinly diced

• ½ cup cucumber, finely diced

• Sofra 400g quinoa*

Ingredients for dressing

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Pinch of salt, pepper and dried red chili flakes*

• ½ tsp mint sauce* or a few sprigs of fresh mint leaves

Options for garnishing

• Crumbled feta cheese

• Pomegranate

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 180C/ 356F/ Gas Mark 4. Prepare all ingredients, rinsing the chickpeas and dicing the rest of vegetables into even sizes.

2. In a roasting tin, toss chickpeas in with a glug of olive oil, garlic and ginger paste as well as spices. Roast for about 15 minutes.

3. In the meantime, heat a saucepan of water over a medium flame. Boil quinoa for 15 minutes. You will know that the quinoa is ready when the grains ‘pop’, expand and soak in the majority of the water. You may need to add a few extra tablespoons of water and cover the saucepan with a lid to ensure all grains cook through. Remove from heat and leave aside to cool. 
   
   Tip: it is better to add a little water at a time than too much all at once! You’ll avoid soggy rice and quinoa that way.

4. Prepare dressing by shaking oil and ingredients together in an empty jar. Keep the dressing and toppings separate from the salad and pour on the day you take your lunch to work.

5. Remove the chickpeas from the oven. Once cool, add in the quinoa and salad vegetables, stirring to mix together.

6. Store in an airtight container. The salad will stay fresh for at least 3 days. Keeping the dressing away from it until it’s needed will also prevent it from spoiling.

Disclaimer: This post contains paid content sponsored by Taj Stores. All opinions are honest and my own.