YOTAM OTTOLENGHI IS MAD FOR CHICKPEAS. AND THIS RECIPE FOR CONFIT OF CHICKPEAS LETS YOU TASTE WHY.
This recipe for Chickpea Confit is Yotam Ottolenghi’s masterclass in coaxing out deep, savory flavors from the humble chickpea. It’s slow-cooked in a 
luxurious bath of olive oil, garlic, and warm spices, transforming the legumes into something soft, almost buttery, and incredibly flavorful. Why did we call it a ‘riff’? Because we didn’t slavishly follow the original recipe. And horror of horrors, we didn’t use dried chickpeas because we needed dinner on the table in less than the proscribed 75 minutes the original takes to cook. But that’s the beauty of this confit of chickpeas: its versatility.
CHICKPEAS ARE GENTLY SIMMERED…
in an olive oil-rich mixture scented with aromatics- whole garlic cloves, chilis, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Cherry tomatoes add a juicy component, and the chickpeas absorb all those flavors while staying intact rather than turning to mush. Why do we call it a riff? We chose to ladle the finished chickpeas over a bed of spinach. And lacking the ingredients to make Ottolenghi’s recommended Greek yogurt with mint topping, we finished our dish with a dollop of sour cream. (Not to worry, we included the yogurt recipe in today’s recipe instructions).
DOES YOTAM OTTOLENGHI NEED AN INTRODUCTION?
Ah, Yotam Ottolenghi—the man who made the world fall in love with vegetables. The Israeli-born, London-based chef, food writer, and restaurateur’s name has become synonymous with bold, vibrant flavors and a Middle Eastern-meets-Mediterranean-meets-whatever-is-delicious approach to cooking. His signature? Layers of flavors, unexpected spice blends, lots of fresh herbs, and an unapologetic love of sumac, za’atar, and rose harissa. He’s also a big fan of labneh, roasted eggplant, and anything that can be doused in yogurt. The bones of today’s recipe can be found in his wonderful pantry-based Cookbook, “Ottolenghi Test Kitchen,” subtitled “Recipes to Unlock the Secrets of Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer”. You can order the book simply by clicking on its jacket at the left. “Test Kitchen” joins the ranks of Ottolenghi’s legendary collection: Plenty (2010) revolutionized how people thought about vegetables, making them the star of the plate rather than a sad afterthought. Jerusalem (2012) was a love letter to his hometown’s diverse culinary heritage. And Simple (2018) proved that even Ottolenghi’s famously complex ingredient lists could be pared down for the home cook. For a look at the complete collection of a dozen cookbooks, click here: https://amzn.to/4iR90mR. No home kitchen should be without at least one of them.
YOTAM’S ODE TO THE CHICKPEA IS WELL-FOUNDED
Chickpeas are legumes, the unsung heroes of a well-balanced diet, delivering a one-two punch of nutrition and sustainability. These little powerhouses are brimming with plant-based protein, fiber, and essential minerals, making them a cornerstone of heart health, digestion, and steady energy levels. They help regulate blood sugar, support gut health, and even reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. But their magic doesn’t stop there. Chickpeas and their legume relatives- lentils, beans, and even peanuts- are also a boon for the planet, requiring less water and fewer resources to grow than most animal proteins. They’re heroes for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Here’s today’s recipe, and after some other Yotam Ottolenghi recipes on Chewing The Fat.
YOTAM OTTOLENGHI'S CONFIT OF CHICKPEAS
Slow-cooked in a luxurious bath of olive oil, garlic, and warm spices, the Chickpeas are transformed into something soft, almost buttery, and incredibly flavorful
Ingredients
- For the Confit:
- 2 (15 oz/425 g) cans of chickpeas, drained (17 oz/480 g total)
- 11 garlic cloves, peeled, 10 left whole and 1 minced
- 1 oz (30 g) fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
- 14 oz (400 g) datterini or regular cherry tomatoes
- 3 small Fresno chiles, mild or spicy, with a slit cut down their length
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tsp. cumin seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
- 2 tsp. coriander seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
- ½ tsp. ground turmeric
- ½ tsp. chile flakes
- 2 tsp. red Kashmiri chile powder
- 1 tsp. sugar
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (200 ml) olive oil
- For the Topping:
- ⅔ cup (180 g) Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (15 g) mint leaves
- 1½ cups (30 g) cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2–3 limes (juiced to get 1 Tbsp. and the rest cut into wedges to serve)
- Salt
- For the Spinach:
- Gently cook the spinach in a a couple of tablespoons of water.
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Step 2 Put the chickpeas, whole garlic cloves, ginger, tomatoes, chiles, tomato paste, spices, sugar, oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large, oven-safe sauté pan, for which you have a lid, and mix everything to combine.
- Step 3 Cover with the lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 75 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the aromatics have softened and the tomatoes have nicely broken down.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, put the yogurt, mint, cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a food processor and blitz until smooth and the herbs are finely chopped.
- Step 5 To serve, ladle the spinach into individual bowls. Top with the chickpea confit. Top the chickpeas with the yogurt mixture
- Step 6 or a dollop of sour cream
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