Confit Tandoori Chickpeas

Ingredients#

Makes 4 portions. Can be slow cooked on high for about 5 hours or put in the oven for 75 mins.

For the main#

• 200ml olive oil
• 2 tins of chickpeas 800g (480)g drained
• 11 garlic cloves, peeled, 10 left whole and 1 crushed (for the yoghurt)
• 30g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
• 400g cherry tomatoes
• 3 red chillies, mild or spicy, a slit cut down their length
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed with a pestle and mortar
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed with a pestle and mortar
• 1.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 1.5 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp red Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Make later on to serve#

• 180g Greek-style yoghurt
• 15g picked mint leaves
• 30g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 limes: juiced to get 1 tbsp and the rest cut into wedges to serve
• 0.5 tsp salt

Method#

• Preheat the oven to 150°C fan, or get the slow cooker ready.
• Put the oil , chickpeas, whole garlic cloves, ginger, tomatoes, chillies, tomato paste , spices, sugar , and salt into the slow cooker or a large pan, for which you have a lid, and mix everything together to combine.
• Cover with the lid, and either transfer to the oven to cook for 75 minutes, stirring halfway through, or set slow cooker to high and cook for at least 5 hours, until the aromatics have softened and the tomatoes have nicely broken down.
• Meanwhile (before serving), put the yoghurt , mint , fresh coriander , lime juice , crushed garlic and 0.5 tsp salt into a food processor and blitz until smooth and the herbs are finely chopped.
• Serve the chickpeas directly from the pan, with the yoghurt and lime wedges alongside.

Notes#

Slow-cooking the chickpeas in oil without added liquid (a confit) makes them super soft, allowing all the aromatics to break down into the oil. This dish can easily be made ahead and served later; it only improves with time. Swap out Greek yoghurt with a non-dairy alternative for a completely vegan meal, and serve with rice.