And very healthy, too. It is quite rare that I feel this much passionate about a recipe. The cooking method gets rid of all the gas and chickpeas taste as if they have been soaked in cream for days. Mark this post, dear reader. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

First things first. In order for this recipe to work, you need a pressure cooker.

It will be much harder to cook this in a regular pot or even with a Dutch oven. If that is the path you will take, I would advise to lengthen the boiling process (before adding tomato puree, onions, etc.). You will know that the chickpeas are done when all the wrinkles are gone and they are soft to the touch. Just take one with a slotted spoon and squeeze it between your fingertips. If it is mushy, it is done.

Beans in general are also great for make-aheads. Just drain them after boiling for the second time and freeze for later (they will not be fully cooked – just al dente).

Quick tips beforehand:

• Do not add salt when cooking, because the sodium will prevent the chickpeas from softening.
• Do not cut back on the number of onions. Their sweet juice is another important element for the success of the recipe.

Then you need:

Chickpea Stew

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried chickpeas
• 3-4 large onions, chopped
• 5 tbps butter
• 1 1/3 cup of organic tomato puree
• 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 3 cups boiling water
• salt and pepper to taste (I added 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper)

Method

1. Pour boiling water over the dried chickpeas and soak them overnight. The next day, wash with cold water thoroughly and drain. Transfer the chickpeas to the pressure cooker and level with boiling water. Cook for 30 minutes. Let cool. Wash the chickpeas in cold water and drain again.
2. Put 4 tablespoons of butter in the pressure cooker and add the chopped onions. Cook until the onions are transparent. Transfer the drained chickpeas, add the tomato puree, dried red pepper flakes and 3 cups of boiling water. Cook for another 40-45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir.
3. There you have it. The tastiest chickpeas you will ever taste. I promise. And they taste even better the next day.

Note: The term “tastiest ever” is pretty strong and I agree it should be used carefully. I have to admit that this recipe can be even tastier for instance if you sautee some bacon and then add the onions etc, but let’s not clog our arteries any further today – the recipe already has lots of butter in it.