These slow-baked chickpeas capture a sunny taste of the Greek Islands

Name: These slow-baked chickpeas capture a sunny taste of the Greek Islands
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 300g dried chickpeas or 650g cooked chickpeas; 1 bay leaf

Fudgy baked eggplant and chickpeas combine with a spice-scented tomato sauce in this dish, served on feast days.

Carolina Doriti

July 16, 2025

Baking the chickpeas with eggplant creates a richly flavoured sauce.Manos Chatzikonstantis

Chickpeas are a staple on Greek islands, where they feature prominently in local recipes. These dishes often involve slow-cooking the chickpeas in a clay pot with a fitted lid, sealed with dough, to trap steam inside. The pot is placed in a wood-burning oven for hours.

Variations on oven-baked chickpeas can be found across the islands, cooked with seasonal vegetables, fish or meat.

On the island of Patmos, the site of several important religious festivals, including the Feast Day of Saint John, this dish is typically cooked on the stove top with diced eggplants that melt into the tomato sauce with the chickpeas, creating a creamy texture.

However, I prefer to bake the dish and halve or quarter the eggplants because this method allows them to retain their shape and absorb the flavours more distinctly. The baking process intensifies the flavours, giving the chickpeas a deeper, richer taste while the eggplants add a satisfying textural contrast.

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKPEAS

300g dried chickpeas or 650g cooked chickpeas
1 bay leaf

FOR THE EGGPLANTS

3 eggplants, about 750g
olive oil, for brushing

FOR THE SAUCE

200ml olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red capsicum, seeded and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp tomato paste
70ml sweet red wine
360g fresh tomatoes, grated, or passata
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sweet paprika
4 whole allspice berries
½ tsp grated orange zest (unwaxed)
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 dried red chilli or fresh red chilli
400ml warm vegetable broth or water
2–3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Step 1
If using dried chickpeas, place them in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water, and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas and place them in a pot covered in plenty of fresh water. Add a bay leaf and a little salt to the pot, then boil the chickpeas for about 40 minutes or until soft. Once cooked, drain the chickpeas and set aside.
Step 2
Rinse the eggplants and pat them dry. Trim the leaves around the stem, but leave the stem in place, and halve or quarter the eggplants lengthwise. Put the eggplants in a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt and toss to coat. Cover the eggplants with lukewarm water and place a plate on top of them to keep them submerged in the water. Leave them to soak for 20-30 minutes, then drain and press the eggplants between kitchen paper to dry them well.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Step 4
Using a paring knife, score the flesh of the eggplants on both sides with vertical and horizontal lines to create a grid, then brush them generously with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Arrange the eggplants on the baking tray, cut sides up. Roast in the hot oven for 25 minutes or until soft and golden.
Step 5
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place a large, deep pan over a medium heat. Add 50ml of the olive oil and, once hot, tip in the onions, season with a little salt and cook while stirring until soft and glossy. Add the garlic, red capsicum and bay leaf to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze in the tomato paste and gently mix. Pour in the wine and let the alcohol infuse the vegetables for 1 minute, then add the grated tomatoes.
Step 6
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the cinnamon stick, sweet paprika, allspice berries, orange zest, thyme sprigs and red chilli. Pour in 100ml of the warm vegetable broth or water. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove and discard the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, thyme sprigs and dried or fresh chilli. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then mix in the parsley.
Step 7
Lightly grease a large ovenproof dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover the base of the dish with the boiled chickpeas and spoon over one-third of the sauce, then stir to mix. Nestle the eggplants nicely between the chickpeas. Spoon the remaining sauce on top followed by the remaining broth and olive oil. Gently shake the baking dish to level.
Step 8
Bake at 180C fan-forced (200C conventional) for 30-40 minutes, uncovered, or until the eggplants are very soft and light brown and the sauce in the pan has reduced by half. Remove from the oven and let the dish stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.