Recipe: Greek Braised Chickpeas

Greek Braised Chickpeas

Revithia Yahni

This lemony chickpea preparation from Greece is ideally served at room temperature. Although you can serve chickpeas as part of a meze, I have also served this recipe as an accompaniment to a braised lemony rabbit.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cups cooked chickpeas (two 15-ounce cans), drained
1 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black peper to taste
Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon all-purpose unbleached flour

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat and cook the onion until some pieces are turning brown, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained chickpeas and water, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and flour until well blended and smooth. Whisk several tablespoons of the hot liquid from the chickpeas into the lemon-flour mixture until well blended. Pour this mixture back into the chickpeas, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the water is nearly evaporated and the sauce has thickened, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Turn the heat off and let the chickpeas cool in the skillet. Serve at room temperature or warm.

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Recipe reprinted by permission.