Baked Chickpeas with Pita Chips and Yogurt

Ingredients

• dried chickpeas450 g
• olive oil — divided90 ml
• yellow onions — halved and thinly sliced2 ea
• garlic cloves — minced, divided4 ea
• ground cumin — 2 tsp5 g
• ground coriander — 2 tsp5 g
• paprika — 1 tsp2.5 g
• cayenne pepper0.5 tsp
• lemons — zested and juiced2 ea
• kosher salt — 2 tsp12 g
• vegetable broth950 ml
• pita breads6 ea
• flat-leaf parsley — chopped1 bunch
• pine nuts35 g
• tomatoes300 g
• large cucumber1 ea
• red onion — finely chopped30 g
• tahini90 g
• plain yogurt240 g

Method

1. Soak the chickpeas (optional, but it saves a lot of cooking time): cover with plenty of water at room temperature for up to 24 hours; even 3 hours helps. Using canned chickpeas instead (four 425 g cans)? Skip this and use only 350 ml broth.
2. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large heavy pot such as a 4-litre Dutch oven, heat 60 ml olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add 3 of the garlic cloves and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until everything is wilted. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, a few gratings of lemon zest and the salt and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the drained chickpeas and the broth (for chickpeas that weren't soaked, add 240 ml water too). Bring to a boil and boil for one full minute, then cover and transfer to the oven.
4. Bake until the chickpeas are firm-tender: 45 minutes for chickpeas soaked 24 hours, up to 75 minutes for a 2 to 3 hour soak, about 1 1/2 hours for unsoaked (check from 50 minutes on and add liquid if needed), or 15 minutes for canned.
5. Meanwhile, make pita chips: separate the pita layers and cut into wedges. Arrange on a large baking sheet, brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake alongside the chickpeas for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, then cool.
6. Toast the pine nuts on a baking sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes, tossing once or twice.
7. Tomato-cucumber salad: chop the tomatoes and cucumber into very small pieces and mix with the finely chopped red onion. Dress to taste with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
8. Lemon-tahini yogurt: whisk the tahini with the juice of 1 lemon, the remaining garlic clove and 4 tablespoons water until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt a quarter at a time and season with salt.
9. Serve and let everyone assemble: pita chips first, then the baked chickpeas, a dollop of yogurt sauce, the tomato-cucumber salad, parsley, pine nuts and an extra sprinkle of paprika, plus hot sauce if you like.