Though kala namak — or Himalayan black salt — is a cornerstone of South Asian cooking, cookbook author and restaurateur Isa Chandra Moskowitz reimagines that powerhouse ingredient here in a vegan “egg” salad sandwich. A little goes a long way when it comes to kala namak: Just two teaspoons of the blush-pink powder will enliven your standard chickpea salad with a distinctly eggy perfume. That aroma, along with a yolky stain of turmeric, will give you all the sensory pleasure of eating eggs, no animal products required.
Where to buy: Kala namak can be found at Indian markets and online.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days
Ingredients
- One (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon kala namak, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 medium carrot, scrubbed and very finely chopped
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped red onion
- 8 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
- Lettuce leaves, preferably romaine, for serving
- Tomato slice, for serving
Directions
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Step 1
In a medium bowl, use a potato masher or fork to mash the beans until the mixture is chunky but with a few beans left whole.
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Step 2
Add the mayonnaise, kala namak, turmeric and pepper and stir until well combined. Fold in the carrot, celery and onion, and taste, adding more mayonnaise, kala namak and/or pepper if needed.
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Step 3
To build the sandwiches, spread mayonnaise on all the bread slices, if desired. Spread about 1/2 cup of the chickpea mixture on the bottom slice, top with lettuce, tomato and the remaining bread slices.