Hot Chick Peas w/ Harissa

When we’re super strapped for cash, the first luxury product we cut from our pantry is canned items. Sure a can of garbanzo beans sets you back, oh, 69 cents. But buying industrial-sized sacks of dry beans for $3/10 pounds feels thrifty. When it comes to putting one of those sacks of beanies to good use, consider this generic-but-yummerz recipe for spicy chickpeas.
Serve ‘em hot, with their bean juice like gravy, and topped with Greek yogurt and potent harissa (the heady North African hot pepper paste that we are usually too lazy to whip up. The spices for the harissa are best if fresh, or as seeds and then ground using a mortar and pestle. If you ain’t got one, sub in the less fresh powder stuff, but know that you’re eating inferior sauce. Your choice.

Hot Chicks

(Serves 6)
2 cups dried garbanzo beans
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
4 cups vegetable stock
1. Place dry beans in a large bowl and cover with cool water. Let sit overnight.
2. When ready to cook beans, start with a large pot. Add oil and bring to medium heat, adding onion and garlic and spices. Saute for about 5 minutes before adding beans. Cook another 5 minutes and then add stock. Bring to a boil and put on simmer for at least 2 hours. You want a soft chick.

Harissa

1 cup dried red chiles
1 cup hot water
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. fennel seeds
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1. Place the chiles in a deep bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are soft.
2. Once ready, remove a couple peppers at a time and slice each lengthwise to remove seeds. Careful using your fingers, the seeds are hot, you can run water over the peppers while doing it or even dump sliced pepper halves back in the bowl of water to stir around until seeds come loose. Shake dry and drop in a food processor with garlic. Pulse.
3. Add spices and oil and pulse thoroughly. Remove and top again with another dash of oil for storage (up to 4 week!)
Beverage: Stone 11th anniversary IPA
Soundtrack: Cornershop’s “Heavy Soup”