Just Bento

Here is my recipe for spiced chickpeas. I love making these because they are really fun to experiment with and very easy to make.

Spiced Chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas (or equivalent soaked chickpeas)
2 tb olive oil
2 cups veggie stock
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbs tomato sauce (or even ketchup if you like things sweeter)
1 clove chopped garlic (optional)
spices of choice (cumin, coriander, parsley, paprika, cilantro, etc)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in shallow pot (I use a small saucier). Add shallot and cook until it starts to become translucent, then add garlic if you choose. Continue to cook until garlic is cooked and shallots are translucent and a little brown. Add chickpeas. Next add enough stock so that it is level with the chickpeas. Once the stock begins to simmer, add tomato sauce and spices. Stir occasionally and allow the broth to reduce. Basically, all you are doing now is cooking things down so that the chickpeas and onions get soft and cooked. If you find that things get too dry and the chickpeas are soft enough to your liking, simply add more stock and continue to cook down. This is also a fun time to adjust the seasoning and make this dish really your own. Dish is done when chickpeas are relatively dry and start to come out of their skins a bit.