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Chickpeas Braised with Spinach
Here’s a
substantial main dish that I developed many years ago while volunteering at my
friends’ Turkish restaurant in Decatur. On Saturdays if I wasn’t otherwise busy
I served as “Guest Chef” there, and learned a great deal about Eastern
Mediterranean cooking.
The dish is
influenced heavily by what I learned hanging out with those Turkish chefs,
though it is not specifically a Turkish dish. They wanted a vegan “special”
that would meet the preferences of some of their customers. The dish went over
well and got added to their regular menu, where it still remains several
decades later. At our restaurant, Donderos’ Kitchen in Athens, we use a version
of it for both catering and for sale from the freezer.
Here’s a
sized-down version of the recipe we use at the restaurant that approximates the
restaurant dish. A batch serves six, accompanied by a rice dish, such as a pilaf, or warmed flatbread, such as pita. In the
Turkish manner, the chickpea-spinach dish can be garnished with julienned red
onion plus some chopped fresh parsley when served. Add a chunk of feta cheese
or some yogurt seasoned with garlic and dill or cacik (tsadziki sauce) for a
nice complement.
1 medium-small
onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons
olive oil
1 medium clove
garlic, minced
1 cup canned
crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water,
plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt,
plus more to taste
2 teaspoons
ground coriander
1 teaspoon
paprika
1/2 teaspoon (or
more) crushed dry hot pepper
1/2 teaspoon
oregano
1/4 teaspoon
ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon
ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
2 (14-ounce) cans
chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
1 (12-ounce) bag
frozen cut or chopped spinach leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons
lemon juice or vinegar
Julienned
(lengthwise thinly sliced) red onion for garnish
Coarsely chopped
parsley for garnish
In a heavy pot,
gently fry the onion in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until well softened
and starting to turn faintly golden. Add the garlic, stir and fry for half a
minute, Add the tomato, water, salt, spices and herbs. Simmer a few minutes.
Add the drained
and rinsed chickpeas, plus enough water to come a quarter inch below the
surface of the chickpeas. Simmer, stirring often, for ten minutes. Add the
frozen spinach and bring back just to a boil. Add a little water if the sauce
is too thick. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the lemon
juice or vinegar. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve now, or let cool and
reheat later for serving. Sprinkle some julienned red onion and chopped parsley
as a garnish. Accompany with a rice dish, such as a pilaf (see elsewhere in this blog) or warmed pita
bread,
