Reclaim your mind, body & spirit
To make
To prepare the garbanzos, rinse well then soak in water for 8 hours or overnight.
Rinse again then cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 45 – 60 minutes; the garbanzos should be 'al dente', i.e. soft but with a slight bite to them. Drain (you can use the water to make your stock), then leave covered while you prepare the stew.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and very gently sauté the leeks, carrots, pepper, potato and garlic until they are soft and translucent.
While the vegetables cook, make the stock and sprinkle in the saffron to infuse.
Turn the heat up slightly and add the wine, let it bubble and reduce for a few minutes.
Add the paprika and stir well then add the bay leaves, tomatoes, stock with saffron and garbanzos. Bring back to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer gently for about 20-30 minutes.
Check the seasoning and add sea salt if necessary.
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Serve hot
*If I'm adding white fish or cooked chicken , I add these about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Moroccan-style Stew with Garbanzos
It is sometimes forgotten that the Muslims or Moors ruled large parts of the Spanish peninsula for 800 years from 711 AD – 1492 AD and their influence is still recognisable today. Spanish language, music, arts, architecture and culture all reflect Moorish elements and perhaps none more so than the cuisine. The Moors brought crops such as oranges, lemons, olives, saffron, dates, almonds, rice, ginger and garbanzos (chickpeas) all of which are very common in Spanish cooking and, of course, delicious.
Garbanzos, or chickpeas, can be bought in tins, but for the best results it's really worth buying the dried ones and soaking and cooking them yourself. I buy the 'garbanzos grandes' in the local supermarket – they're bigger than the usual kind and, to me, they have a superior flavour. Yes, the soaking and cooking do take a bit of planning but you don't actually have to do anything while they're at it.
Some people find pulses of any kind a bit indigestible and they certainly can contribute to a bit of a 'wind factor'. However, the indigestible part is very good for feeding your gut biome and they're a good source of non-meat protein.
This stew with its Moroccan influences is very typical in Spanish restaurants as a first course. It's a very adaptable dish and can be adjusted to your own taste or even to whatever ingredients you have at hand. I sometimes add some chunks of *white fish or leftover cooked chicken, but this is the simplest version.
Ingredients Serves 4
200g dried garbanzos
2 tblsps olive oil
1 leek, washed and sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, chopped into small cubes
1 large red pepper, cut into 1cm pieces
1 medium potato, washed and cut into 2cm pieces
3 large ripe tomatoes skinned and chopped or ½ can tinned tomatoes, with juice
100ml white or rose wine
1l stock – this can be any type depending on the flavour you want
2 bay leaves
1 good tsp smoked paprika
pinch of saffron
sea salt to taste
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