- 250g chickpeas
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 40ml grapeseed oil
- 3 small onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic
- A thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 2½ tbs soy sauce
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 2 red chillies
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 6 star anise
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 2 tsp water
Method
Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water. The next day drain, place in a medium pot covered with fresh water, add bicarb and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until plump and tender then drain again. Warm the oil in a medium pot, add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, peel the garlic and thinly slice and peel the ginger and cut into matchsticks, then add both to the onions. When they too have softened, stir in the soy sauce, sugar and the chillies followed by the stock and star anise. Bring to the boil then tip in the drained cooked chickpeas. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Mix the cornflour and water to a smooth paste, then tip it into the beans and stir over moderate heat. The sauce will thicken slightly. Serve with grilled sausages.
Serves 4
