This chickpea preparation is dead-simple. It was a pandemic discovery via the incomparable Ottolenghi team.
The most challenging part is crushing the spices. In all honesty, I’m not above using pre-ground cumin or coriander when I’m feeling extra lazy.
Ingredients
For the chickpeas
- 2 x 400 g cans chickpeas, drained
- 11 garlic cloves, peeled, 10 left whole and 1 crushed
- 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
- 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 red chilies, a slit cut down their length
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons red Kashmiri chili powder
- 200 mL olive oil
- Salt
For the yogurt sauce
- 180 g Greek-style yogurt
- 15 g picked mint leaves
- 30 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- Limes
- Salt
Method
Preheat an oven to 150 °C (300 °F).
Add the chickpea ingredients to a large oven-safe pot with a lid. Stir everything together until the mixture is uniform. Cover the pot with the lid, and place the vessel in the preheated oven.
Cook the chickpeas until everything is very soft, about 90 minutes.
For the sauce, stir together the yogurt, mint, and cilantro with a squeeze of lime and salt to taste.
Season the chickpeas to taste. Serve with the yogurt sauce and lime wedges.