AuthorAnn Ogden GaffneyI always keep dried chickpeas in my pantry. They are so easy and economical to cook from scratch, and these Spicy, Smoky Chickpeas are my fave. I know, why bother cooking dried chickpeas when using canned is so easy? True, canned are a good standby, but they're not as tasty and need to be rinsed before using. With just a little planning for the soak, chickpeas can be cooked in about an hour as can unsoaked, if you have a pressure cooker. The bonus is that, unlike commercially canned beans, their broth can be used as a delicious addition to soups and stews, especially useful in vegan and vegetarian cooking as well as in the culinary traditions where they are a staple, around the Mediterranean and in South Asia. And did I mention that they also freeze well? Go for it!
Rinse the soaked chickpeas in cold water. Put into a medium sized pot with the shallot, bay leaf, and dried chipotle pepper. Add water to cover by about 1 inch.
Place pot on stove over a medium-high flame and bring to a boil. Cover. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook at a low simmer until the chickpeas are soft, about 45 minutes depending on the age of the peas. In any event check them for doneness after 40 minutes. They should be just soft but not mushy, with a little bite left in them. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat and let steep in their liquor until cooled. Discard the bayleaf, chipotle and shallot before using. Makes about 4 cups chickpeas.
- Into the pressure cooker, put 2 cups of dried chickpeas, 12 cups (3qts) of water plus the same aromatics as above. Lock the lid. Bring the cooker to high pressure over a medium-high flame. Lower flame to medium-low and cook chickpeas for 45 minutes.
- Turn off the flame. Let the cooker sit for 10 minutes to decompress before opening. If the pressure hasn't fully released, run cold water over the cooker's lid to speed up the process.
- Add salt to taste. Let the chickpeas steep in their liquor until cooled. Discard the bayleaf, chipotle and shallot before using. Makes about 4 cups of chickpeas.
Rinse the soaked chickpeas in cold water. Put into a medium sized pot with the shallot, bay leaf, and dried chipotle pepper. Add water to cover by about 1 inch.
8 servings
1/2 cup
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse the soaked chickpeas in cold water. Put into a medium sized pot with the shallot, bay leaf, and dried chipotle pepper. Add water to cover by about 1 inch.
Place pot on stove over a medium-high flame and bring to a boil. Cover. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook at a low simmer until the chickpeas are soft, about 45 minutes depending on the age of the peas. In any event check them for doneness after 40 minutes. They should be just soft but not mushy, with a little bite left in them. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat and let steep in their liquor until cooled. Discard the bayleaf, chipotle and shallot before using. Makes about 4 cups chickpeas.
- Into the pressure cooker, put 2 cups of dried chickpeas, 12 cups (3qts) of water plus the same aromatics as above. Lock the lid. Bring the cooker to high pressure over a medium-high flame. Lower flame to medium-low and cook chickpeas for 45 minutes.
- Turn off the flame. Let the cooker sit for 10 minutes to decompress before opening. If the pressure hasn't fully released, run cold water over the cooker's lid to speed up the process.
- Add salt to taste. Let the chickpeas steep in their liquor until cooled. Discard the bayleaf, chipotle and shallot before using. Makes about 4 cups of chickpeas.
