Chick Peas for Purim

A recipe for a vegetarian hors d'oeuvre or side dish

By Joan Nathan

According to tradition, while Queen Esther lived in the court of King Ahasuerus, she followed a vegetarian diet consisting largely of beans and peas so that she would not break the laws of kashrut (dietary laws). For this reason it is customary to eat beans and peas on Purim. The following recipe is reprinted with permission from The Jewish Holiday Kitchen (Schocken Books).

 

Makes about 2 cups

 

One 20-ounce can chick peas or garbanzo beans

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

 

1.      Place the chick peas with the liquid from the can in a saucepan. Simmer a few minutes, until heated through.

 

2.      Drain the water. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve in a dish with toothpicks, or eat the chick peas as you would sunflower seeds or peanuts.

 

From The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, copyright 1988 by Joan Nathan. Reprinted here with permission from Schocken Books.