Tandoori Chickpeas
This recipe is truly a make ahead dream. It’s a simplified version of an Ottolenghi recipe, so the flavors are vivid and satisfying, it happens to be vegan, and the work is so minimal. You pitch a bunch of pantry ingredients into a pot or baking dish, pop it in the oven for two-ish hours of hands off time, and you’re good to go. I like to serve it with a dollop of greek yogurt and some herbs (cilantro and/or mint) and fluffy pita or naan, or almost like chili, in a bowl with shredded cabbage, radishes, cucumber, and feta, and maybe some rice if you want to bulk it out. It’s also a great, satisfying lunch option to have hanging out in the fridge, and freezes perfectly.
One note: This is great with cherry tomatoes, but it’s also good with canned tomatoes–the one caveat is you don’t want too much moisture in there, so just use the tomatoes and reserve the juice for something else, like pasta sauce or soup. Also, you can add a few fresh or dried chiles in the mix, but I keep it mild for our family.
Recipe
Yield: 4 servings
2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1inch piece ginger, cut into coins
1 pint cherry tomatoes OR 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin or cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander or coriander seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon chile flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup olive oil
Serving suggestions, all optional: pita bread or naan, rice, plain yogurt, crumbled feta, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, cilantro, mint, parsley
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350. In a dutch oven or oven safe baking dish with a lid (or you can use foil), combine all of the ingredients, giving them a stir. Cover and pop the pot or dish into the oven. Let cook for an hour, and then stir, breaking up the tomatoes. Cook for another 30-45 minutes. The chickpeas are done when they no longer look soupy, the tomatoes are very broken down, and the chickpeas look rich and glossy, not like canned chickpeas sitting in tomato-y liquid. Serve with any variety of the suggested toppings, accompaniments.
