Gotta love these legumes!

Sweet pea au gratin

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup minced onions
• 1 small sweet potato, chopped
• Salt to taste
• White pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 cups sweet green peas, blanched 
• ¼ cup dried breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp grated 
• cheddar cheese
• 

Method
Preheat the oven to 1600 C. Grease a baking dish with two tablespoons butter and keep it aside.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add the onions, sweet potato, salt and pepper, and sauté for two minutes. Add the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for four to six minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the peas and mix thoroughly, then pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the peas and top with the grated cheese. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and serve hot.

Cheesy chickpea omelette 

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup water
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp minced garlic
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup spring onions, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup grated cheddar and mozarella cheese mixed

Method 
Prepare the batter by combining all the dry ingredients (chickpea flour, baking powder, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper) in a bowl. Then add in one cup of water and stir until no clumps remain. Finally, stir in some finely diced red bell peppers and spring onions.

Sauté the spinach and mushrooms by adding them to a pan over medium heat with a splash of water and soy sauce. Let them cook for five minutes while you make the chickpea omelette.

Add a little amount of oil onto the non-stick pan and turn it up over medium high heat (but don’t burn the oil). Then pour in half of the batter and spread it out into a thin circle. Cook for two minutes and then flip and cook the other side for another two minutes.

Drizzle the top side with grated cheese, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and a sprig or two of fresh parsley. Fold in half and serve.

Green peas stuffed puri 

Ingredients

• 2 cups maida
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup boiled and coarsely crushed green peas
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• ½ tsp lemon juice 
• Oil for deep-frying
• 

Method
Make a soft dough with maida by adding a pinch of salt and water. Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside at least for one hour. For the stuffing, heat oil and add cumin seeds and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Add the green peas, lemon juice and salt and cook on a medium flame for one to two minutes. 
Now make small balls of the dough and roll out. Place one teaspoon of the prepared stuffing and roll out to make a puri. Heat oil and deep fry these puris on medium flame. Serve with any curry.

Chickpea and roasted garlic hummus

Ingredients

• 1 garlic pod
• 4 tbps olive oil
• 3 cups chickpeas, boiled
• 4 tbps sesame seeds roasted and finely 
• powdered
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• 3-4 tbps chickpea stock 
• Parsley or coriander for garnishing

Method
Soak chickpeas for about seven to eight hours. Boil it with a pinch of salt, and keep aside. Peel the garlic. Brush with olive oil, place in foil paper and roast in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once the garlic has cooled down, mash it into a paste. Add all the other ingredients in a blender or large food processor and puree until smooth. You can add more chickpea stock if required. Continue to puree for another minute or two until completely smooth. Transfer the hummus to a serving dish. Add olive oil and parsley or coriander and serve it with pita bread.

— As told to Namrata Srivastava