I love chickpeas, and happily eat them several times a week, either added to things to bulk them out or as the star of their own dish.
I tend to cook them myself from dried, presoaking for 24 hours by pouring boiling water over the washed peas in a bowl; changing the water once, then boiling for around 40 minutes. The cooked chick peas can be frozen and used or added to salads etc.
Chick peas can be soaked and sprouted and either added to salads or cooked with.
I have passed this recipe on to my friend H, who tells me that she has successfully made it and really liked it. I feel I have a Domestic Goddess in the making here!
There are lots of versions of lemon and tomato chick peas on the internet, this one is very similar to one from a forum I regularly post on and they are dish is very similar to the Indian dish of Chole.
Lemon Chick Peas
Good glug of olive or sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1″ piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (Fuss Free tip – buy Very Lazy Ginger or peel and freeze a root and grate as needed)
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 red chilli (Fuss Free tip – use Very Lazy Chillies)
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tins of cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained or 2 mugs full if you cooked them from dried)
Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
14 oz tin chopped tomatoes
8 oz spinach leaves (or rocket or fresh coriander) frozen spinach works too
s & p
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and lemon zest & juice.
Season to taste.
Cook for about 15 minutes then stir in the spinach or rocket and continue to cook unil tender.
Serve on its own or with rice or cous cous. Garnish with some extra leaves.
This freezes well and can be microwaved from frozen.
Next time I cook it I am going to use fresh green chilli (or for Fuss Free I am delighted to discover that Very Lazy Green Chillies are now available) as I love the fresh flavour of green chilli.
Other variations could be using some coriander leaves in place of the spinach or rocket, or adding some red or white wine. I think that a few red lentils would work too.
The last time I made this I forgot to add the ginger and used my preserved lemons and I think that it was even more tasty.
The lemon chickpeas are indeed delicious – one of the tastiest things I have ever cooked. I freeze them in portions and bring them to work for a nice filling lunch.
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