For the chickpeas
1 pound dried chickpeas or 4-15 ounce cans chickpeas
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika or sumac
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, spoonful of harissa or a couple shakes of your favorite hot sauce
Few gratings fresh lemon zest
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt (used for lightly salted broth, use more for unsalted, less for salted or canned beans)
4 cups vegetable broth (for dried but soaked chickpeas), 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth (for cooked chickpeas)
1 cup or more of water (will likely only need if beans weren't pre-soaked)
Fixings (all instructions below)
Fresh pitas for pita chips
Handful of parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts
Tomato-cucumber "relish" salad
Lemon-tahini yogurt or plain yogurt
Additional paprika or sumac for sprinkling
Prepare chickpeas: Heat oven to 375. In large, heavy pot such as a dutch oven (4 quarts is ideal), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add garlic and saute garlic and onions together for 3 to 4 minutes more, until everything is wilted. Add spices, zest and salt and cook with onions and garlic for one minute. Add drained soaked or canned chickpeas and:
-for already cooked or canned chickpeas: 1-1/2 cups broth
-for dried chickpeas that have been soaked: 4 cups broth
-for dried chickpeas that have not been soaked: 4 cups broth and 1 cup water to start
Bring mixture to a boil and boil for one full minute. Place a lid on the pot and transfer it carefully to the oven.
Bake your chickpeas: Age and freshness of beans will affect how much cooking time is needed:
-for already cooked or canned chickpeas: bake for 15 minutes
-for dried chickpeas that had been soaked: bake for 45 minutes (estimate for 24 hours soaking) to 75 minutes (estimate for 2 to 3 hours soaking)
-for dried chickpeas that have not been soaked: bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, but start checking in every 10 to 15 minutes from 50 minutes on to see if more liquid or cooking time will be needed
Chickpeas are done when they are firm-tender.
Meanwhile, prep your fixings: while the chickpeas bake, prepare any fixings:
To make pita chips from store bought pitas: Separate the layers of pitas and cut in to wedges. Arrange on a large baking sheet and brush lightly with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake alongside chickpeas for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally to ensure they toast evenly. Let cool.
To toast pine nuts: spread the nuts on baking sheet and toast them in the oven while the chickpeas bake for 5 minutes, tossing once or twice. Let cool.
To make tomato-cucumber relish salad: chop a handful of tomatoes, and 1 large or a few smaller cucumbers into very small pieces. Finely chop 1/4 a small red onion. Mix veg and onion in a bowl and dress to taste with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.
To make lemon-tahini yogurt: whisk 6 tablespoons well-stirred tahini in the bottom of a bowl. Whisk in the juice of a whole lemon, 1 minced garlic clove and 4 tablespoons water until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup plain yogurt, about 1/4 at a time, until smooth. Season with salt. Adjust all levels to taste.
