Another Vegetarian Adventure: Chickpea Burritos with Yogurt Sauce

Now that Lent's over, I'm free to eat meat again, though I do enjoy the vegetarian eating, so I have a feeling that a bulk of my home cooking will be mostly vegetarian. That said, I'm kind of craving a cheesesteak, so I may have to get one this week. ;)

Towards the end of Lent, my mom forwarded an email with a recipe for chickpea burritos that came from The Splendid Table. I love chickpeas and I liked the flavors involved, so I figured I'd give it a go. I can't find the recipe on the website (it originally came in an email newsletter), but it was so good that I kept a copy in my "recipes" folder on GMail.

Not only is the recipe good as a burrito, but it worked quite well when folded into a quesadilla with some cheddar cheese, then using the yogurt sauce as a dip. The yogurt dip itself served as a tasty dip for chips and crackers, too. I think the recipe would work with any bean, though the heartiness/meatiness of the chickpea was quite good. I also tried the filling on its own over couscous with the dip on the side (no tortilla involved). The filling is quite flavorful and works well with almost any starch, even rice. This is a great dish. Even though Lent's over, I'll be making this one again, I most certainly didn't miss meat in the dish.

So, without further ado....

For the filling:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic (I used about 4 cloves, pressed through my garlic press)

1.5 cups thinly sliced onion (I used a whole small/medium Mayan onion)

2/3 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp paprika

2-15 oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

6 large flour tortillas

For the dip:

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 small cucumber, seeded, peeled and grated on medium holes (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook for 6 minutes or so, so the onion is soft and the mixture is aromatic. Add the coriander, cumin, pepper flakes, paprika and mix well. Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper (to taste) then mix in the cilantro.

While the onion/garlic/pepper mixture is cooking, make the dip. Mix the yogurt, grated cucumber, and paprika. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

To make a burrito, warm up the tortilla briefly in the microwave or on the stove and then spread out some of the dip in the center, and then put about a half cup of the chickpea mixture on top. Add ~1/4 cup grated cheese if desired. Fold the sides in and roll the burrito. For the quesadilla, put about 1/8 cup of shredded cheese on one half of a warmed tortilla. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chickpea mixture on top, then cover with another 1/8 cup of cheese. Fold the tortilla so it's in a half-moon shape. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with the dip on the side.