Sticky-sweet-spicy Mongolian chickpeas is a one-pot meal that’s super versatile. Try this sauce with different plant-based proteins and dish it up over rice or quinoa. It makes great lettuce wraps, too!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the Mongolian Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or use tamari for gluten-free)
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or use sweet soy sauce or hoisin sauce (Use gluten-free versions, if needed.))
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Stir Fry

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, (minced)
  • 1/2" piece of ginger (minced)
  • 1 bell pepper (sliced or chopped into 1/2 inch petals. Or use a mix of 1/2 green, 1/2 red for more color!)
  • 1 cup small chopped broccoli (or more, if you like)
  • 15 ounce can chickpeas (drained, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas, or use any other beans or crisped up tofu)
  • 3 or 4 green onions (chopped. Keep some of the green portions for garnish, and chop the rest of the green onion into 1” pieces.)
  • sesame seeds (for garnish)

Method

Make the sauce.

  1. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl, mix really well, and set aside.

Make the Mongolian chickpea stir fry.

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the ginger and garlic and cook for a minute or so, or until the garlic is turning golden.
  2. Then, add in the peppers, broccoli, and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover the pan, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until broccoli is bright green. At this point you can remove the broccoli to add back later, so that it doesn't overcook, or continue with the broccoli in the pan.
  3. Add the mixed sauce to the pan along with the chickpeas. Mix in, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to bring it to a boil. The sauce will thicken at this point.
  4. Simmer for another minute or so, then add in the green onion and fold in the broccoli again, if you removed it. Switch off heat, then taste and adjust flavor by adding a pinch of salt or a few drops of vinegar while still hot, if you like, and mix in.
  5. Garnish with some sesame seeds and serve over rice or quinoa. Or you can make lettuce wraps!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.