Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Peri-Peri Chickpeas (1 pan, 30 minutes) is a vegan, vegetarian African Inspired dinner, main, main course made with olive oil, chopped red onion, and garlic in about 30 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: dinner, Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: African Inspired

Ingredients

For the Peri-Peri Chickpeas

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper (or [adjustable]1[/adjustable] scotch bonnet pepper or bird’s eye chili for spicier)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or oregano or both)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (chopped small or about 3 medium Roma tomatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons peri-peri sauce (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 15 ounce can chickpeas (drained. Or [adjustable]1 1/2 cups[/adjustable] cooked chickpeas or other beans, such as white beans)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 ounces spinach (fresh or frozen)

For the Cucumber Tomato Salsa

  • 1 cup chopped mini cucumbers
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more, to taste)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For Garnish

  • pepper flakes
  • hemp seeds (or sesame seeds)
  • non-dairy yogurt (or non-dairy cream)

Method

Make the peri-peri chickpeas.

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and a good dash of salt, and cook until the onion starts to turn golden, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme, black pepper, and red bell pepper, and mix for about 1/2 minute. Then, add the tomatoes, another dash of salt, the peri-peri sauce, and tomato paste, and mix well. Cook until the tomatoes are jammy, about 6 to 8 minutes, pressing the larger pieces and stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas, another dash of salt, and the water. Mix, cover with a lid, and cook for about 10 minutes or longer, so the sauce thickens, and the chickpeas absorb the flavor.
  2. Open the lid, and fold in the spinach. Taste and adjust the flavor, adding more salt or more heat with peri-peri sauce or cayenne, if needed. If it is too spicy, add some non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream, mix in, bring to a boil, then switch off the heat. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice, and serve with the cucumber tomato salsa (recipe below).

Meanwhile, make the cucumber tomato salsa.

  1. Add the chopped cucumber and sliced cherry tomatoes to a bowl. Add the salt, black pepper, cilantro, and lime juice, and toss well. Pair this with the chickpeas in various ways.

Serving Suggestions

  1. To make this a bowl meal, serve the peri-peri chickpeas as-is or over rice, quinoa, or a baked potato. Top with the cucumber tomato salsa.
  2. You can make wraps with the chickpeas by layering them into tortillas or flatbread with the salsa. Top with garnishes of choice and a creamy element, like non-dairy yogurt.
  3. For a dip platter, spread a creamy base, like hummus or thick non-dairy yogurt, then top with the peri-peri chickpeas, salsa, more cilantro, hemp seeds or sesame seeds, and a drizzle of lime juice.
  4. You can also make tostadas by air frying tortillas until crisp, about 6 to 7 minutes, then topping with the chickpeas, salsa, and a drizzle of non-dairy yogurt.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.