Chickpeas and Chicken Casserole

As much as I remember, there was a lot of casseroles made when I was a kid. Mostly there was some legumes and rice next to it, very peruvian. I always loved chickpeas, but I remember hearing they are very hard to make, so I never tried to make them myself. But after all, it was pretty easy to make this dish.

When I feel a bit homesick, I try to make a food that reminds me of happy moments and childhood... no surprise why my comfort food is homemade roasted chicken and chicken fricassee, a regular on my family's repertoire. And I was feeling a bit down so I decided to cheer me up with this casserole... I hope this recipe can make your day brighter as well!

Ingredients:

4 pieces of chicken thighs with bone
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of chickpeas (soak overnight if possible if not 1 hour will be ok)
2 cups of chicken broth
​1 cup of canned chopped tomatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 aubergine in dices
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Fresh parsley or basil chopped ​​

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and fry until is golden, remove from the cooker. Add onion and garlic and the rest of the olive oil and cook, stirring, until transparent.

​Add broth, chickpeas, aubergine, tomato, chicken pieces, salt & pepper. Mix well.
Seal pressure cooker and bring to high pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. Cool pressure cooker. If you don't have enough time, place the cooker under a cold running tap, and open it. 

Return to high heat and cook, stirring very gently, until it achieves a stew consistency, about 5-7 minutes. If it is a bit runny, don't worry! Just add a little bit of sauce thickener to it. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in parsley or basil and serve.

Drizzle some more herbs and extra-virgin olive oil at the table. And voilá, a very easy to make dinner.