Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cooked chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed)
• 3/4 cup Long-grain white rice (uncooked)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 medium Onion (finely chopped)
• 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ground turmeric(optional)
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup Vegetable broth or water
• 1 medium Lemon (zest and juice)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep (about 12 minutes): Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Zest and juice the lemon.

2. 2

   Cook the rice (about 15 minutes): In a pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the rice, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender (about 12–15 minutes). Fluff and keep warm.

3. 3

   Cook the chickpea-tomato spiced sauce (about 20 minutes): In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric (if using) for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, broth/water, salt, and pepper; simmer 10–12 minutes to thicken.

4. 4

   Finish and serve (about 0–5 minutes): Stir chickpeas into the sauce and simmer 5–7 minutes until heated through. Turn off heat and stir in lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve the chickpeas and sauce over the rice.