🥕 Cape Malay Chickpea & Carrot Salad with Toasted Coconut

Serves: 4 (as a side) or 2 (as a main)
Prep time: 15 mins   
Cook time: 5 mins
Skill level: Bright, crunchy, and deeply satisfying – with a cheeky Cape twist.

🧂 Ingredients

For the salad:
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 carrots, grated or julienned
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional, but great)
2 tbsp raisins or sultanas
2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut
Handful of fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

For the dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp mild curry powder
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp maple syrup or sugar
Pinch of salt

To serve:
More toasted coconut, fresh herbs, or a scattering of toasted seeds

🔥 Method

1. Toast the coconut.
In a dry pan, toast the desiccated coconut over medium heat for 2–3 mins until golden and fragrant. Stir constantly and don’t walk away – it turns on you quickly.

2. Make the dressing.
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Taste and tweak – it should be zesty, warming, and slightly sweet.

3. Build the salad.
In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, carrot, onion, chilli, raisins, and most of the coconut. Pour over the dressing and toss well to coat. Add herbs, salt, and pepper to taste.

4. Serve and scatter.
Finish with a little extra coconut and herbs just before serving. Tastes great straight away, even better after 30 mins in the fridge.

💡 Little Tip
Add some chopped mango or orange segments for a tropical twist – or serve with grilled flatbread for a quick lunch that feels like a mini escape.