Chick peas are great don’t you reckon. Creamy hummus in summer, stews and casseroles in winter, chickpea flour in pies, cakes and biscuits, roasted in a bit of tamari for nibbles. My Bulent’s chickpea recipe is always a hit and here’s another keeper. This one is perfect for autumn/winter meals for lunch or dinner. There are absolutely no fancy ingredients but it’s tasty enough to serve up to guests!
Ingredients for the stew;
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1 onion sliced, 1 carrot sliced, 1 stalk of celery chopped, 2 cloves garlic crushed, olive oil for frying, dried oregano, thyme and sweet basil, salt & pepper, 1 heaped teaspoon of cornflour (optional for thickening)
NB. The day before you are planning to use the chickpeas, cover with water, bring to the boil and soak overnight. The following day change the water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender but still firm. Allternatively used organic canned.
Ingredients for the mash;
3 potatoes, 1 large kumara (sweet potato), a chunk of butter, a wee bit of milk, grated cheese.
In a wok/large frypan saute the onions, garlic, sliced carrot and chopped celery for a few minutes. Add dried herbs (I used about 1/3 of a teaspoon of each) salt and pepper and stir and saute for a little longer.
Add the cooked chickpeas and the canned tomatoes. Cover and leave to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off. Meanwhile wash and prepare your potatoes and kumara for the mash. Cut them into moderate chunks and bring to the boil in salted water. I leave the skin on, prefering the fuller taste and texture. Boil until tender.
By now your chickpeas should be ready. I mixed a good teaspoon of cornflour with a little water and added it to the chickpeas and stirred for about 1 minute more on the heat. Transfer the chickpea mix to an oven proof casserole dish.
When the potato and kumara are cooked drain most of the water off. Mash the veg in the remaining water, add a little milk and add a big blob of butter. Continue to mash until creamed to your liking.
Spread the mash over top of the chickpeas.
Sprinkle with just a little cheese if you desire.
Bake for 20-30minutes in a moderate oven to bring the heat up and give a final blast under the grill to crisp and colour the cheese. Enjoy!