Confit of Chickpeas

 

Not everyone agreed! We made this Confit Tandoori Chickpeas and really liked. A Bangladeshi friend hated it. Sometimes people disagree. We would make it again. You should try it, it is good!

Confit Tandoori Chickpeas

Ottolenghi

Test Kitchen

 

These tandoori-spiced chickpeas have had their fair share of Insta fame for a multitude of reasons. The first being that the simplicity of the dish makes it really quite attractive: throw everything into a pan and pop it into the oven, leaving it to its own devices (and you to yours). The second being that slow-cooking the chickpeas in oil without added liquid makes them super soft, allowing all the aromatics to break down into the oil. Lastly, this dish can easily be made ahead and served later: it only improves with time. Swap out Greek yogurt with a non-dairy alternative for a completely vegan

 

Ingredients

 

2       (15 oz/425g) cans of chickpeas, drained (17 oz total)

11     garlic cloves, peeled, 10 left whole and 1 minced

1       oz/30g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

14     oz/400g datterini or reqular cherry tomatoes

3       small Fresno chiles, mild or spicy, a slit cut down their length

1       tbsp tomato paste

2       tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle

2       tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle

½      tsp ground turmeric

½      tsp chile flakes

2       tsp red Kashmiri chile powder

1       tsp sugar

¾      cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil

2/3    cup Greek yogurt

¾      cup mint leaves

1½    cups cilantro, roughly chopped

2-3   limes Juiced to get 1 tbsp and rest cut into wedges to serve

Salt

 

Process

 

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.      Put the chickpeas, whole garlic cloves, ginger, tomatoes, chiles, tomato paste, spices, sugar, oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large, oven-safe sauté pan, for which you have a lid, and mix everything together to combine. Cover with the lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 75 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the aromatics have softenedand the tomatoes have nicely broken down.

3.      Meanwhile, put the yogurt, mint, cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a food processor and blitz until smooth and the herbs are finely chopped.

4.      Serve the chickpeas directly from the pan, with the yogurt and lime wedges alongside.