As I switched to a mostly Mediterranean diet for health reasons, I started to cook and eat more legumes. Being Mexican, I have always cooked beans from scratch, but I had not bothered to cook chickpeas, always thinking they were way more work than making beans. In a way, this is true, as chickpeas require a bit of advance prep - mainly soaking; if they are not soaked, they take FOREVER to cook and nobody wants to deal with that! But if you own a pressure cooker or Instant pot, making chickpeas is pretty easy.
The most important reason for switching to cooking your own chickpeas is that they are not only delicious, but they are budget friendly and you control what goes into the pot when you make them. You will be rewarded with the softest, tastiest little bites that can then be transformed into so many other dishes.
I make a pot of chickpeas every week, and then I make my crispy chickpeas that I eat in my salads every day (I may have to admit I am addicted to them). I also make hummus and this outrageous warm chickpea and tahini concoction that I learned from Yotam Ottolenghi. If I had a celebrity cook crush, it would be him. I love the way he cooks, his flavour combinations and his presentations. I have a secret love affair with Middle Eastern food and I have learned quite a few things from reading his books and experimenting. When I came across this recipe, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he cooks his chickpeas pretty much the way I cook mine. It is actually a very simple method, but really worth the time.
So this blog post is about learning to cook chickpeas from scratch, and then you can go forth and use them any way you want, but I strongly suggest making this warm Msabbaha, as Ottolenghi does. It is like a chunky, softer hummus that is totally addictive. You will be happy you did!
Chickpeas, and Warm Chickpeas with Tahini (Msabbaha)
2 cups dried chickpeas
1 tsp salt (optional)
Water
To cook chickpeas:
Soaked and drained chickpeas
Water
4 cloves garlic or 1 small onion, halved, or both
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
Warm Chickpeas with Tahini (Msabbaha)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2-1 cup chickpea broth
3 Tbsp tahini paste
1 tsp ground cumin
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
1/2 tsp sumac (optional)
Soak chickpeas in large container, covered by at least 10 cm of water. Add salt, if using, cover and leave on the counter for 12-18 hours - chickpeas will absorb water and expand. If it’s too hot where you live, refrigerate until ready to cook.
The next day, drain water and place in pressure cooker with 1 tsp salt, garlic or onion, bay leaves and enough water to cover chickpeas by 10 centimetres.
Bring to high pressure over high heat, then once it reaches high pressure, turn heat down and cook for 1 hour. Let pressure release on its own, then cool chickpeas. To store, refrigerate chickpeas in their broth.
If you want to make Msabbaha, while chickpeas are still warm, place in a large bowl along with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add tahini, cumin and lemon juice. Mash with a fork, until you get the texture you like, but it should not be too smooth - add a bit more broth if you need it.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice to taste. Place on platter or individual plates.
For topping, and just before serving, in small frying pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sliced almonds and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes, just make sure mixture does not burn!
Immediately pour onto chickpeas and garnish with parsley and Aleppo flakes. Add sumac if you like.
Serve with flat bread.
Serves 2.