Chickpeas or garbanzo beans appear in a number of ethnic cuisines and they are very versatile. They can form the basis of a vegetarian dish, a salad, a dip. They make good hearty winter fare and are also good as part of a summer table.
A bit larger than the average pea, these round, irregular-shaped, buff-colored legumes have a firm texture and mild, nutlike flavor. Chickpeas (also called ceci ) are used extensively in the Mediterranean, India and the Middle East. They've also found their way into Spanish stews and various Mexican dishes.
I made a tasty chickpea salad the other night which was an instant hit with the hummus lovers round the table.
You can use canned chickpeas for this dish, but I prefer the flavour of dried chickpeas which have been allowed to soak in water overnight. These are then drained, placed in a pot of water and allowed to simmer until tender. You can add a teaspoon of salt for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
The tahini mentioned in the recipe is a sesame seed paste. You should be able to buy it by the jar at your delicatessen. It's a little like peanut butter. You will probably need to give the jar of tahini a good stir before use as the oil tend to pool at the top and the ground sesame seeds form a sludge in the bottom of the jar.
Chickpea Salad
3 cups cooked chickpeas
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Place the first five ingredients in a bowl. Whisk the remainder together then add a little water or plain unsweetened yoghurt to thin down the dressing. Pour over the chickpeas. Mix well.
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