USALet the chickpeas sit in the hot pan without stirring for a couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes. This develops a slight crust on the outside — chickpeas cooked in liquid from the start stay uniformly soft throughout, which is fine but less interesting.
This dish is deliberately simple. Things that improve it without changing its character: a pinch of ground coriander with the cumin, a tablespoon of tahini stirred in with the spinach, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt on the side.
Chickpea Spinach Skillet
By Sergei Martynov
Chickpeas sautéed with onion, garlic, tomatoes and cumin, with spinach stirred in at the end. Done in 25 minutes in one pan. About 11g of fibre per serving. Good over rice, with eggs poached on top, or with flatbread.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 800 g
See recipes with canned chickpeascanned chickpeas
i - 200 g
See recipes with baby spinachbaby spinach
i - 400 g
See recipes with canned diced tomatoescanned diced tomatoes
i - 1
- 4
See recipes with garlic clovesgarlic cloves
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with olive oilolive oil
i - 1.5 tsp
- 1 tsp
See recipes with smoked paprikasmoked paprika
i - 0.5 tsp
See recipes with chili flakeschili flakes
i - 1 tsp
- 1
- 2 tbsp
See recipes with fresh cilantro or parsleyfresh cilantro or parsley
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pat them dry if you want them to pick up some colour in the pan — wet chickpeas steam instead of brown.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook 5 minutes until soft and starting to colour at the edges.
- 3
Add the minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and chili flakes. Stir and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4
Add the chickpeas. Spread them in a single layer and leave them alone for 2 minutes — you want a little browning on the bottom before you stir. Then stir and cook 3 more minutes.
- 5
Add the diced tomatoes with their juice. Simmer 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the chickpeas have absorbed some of the tomato flavour.
- 6
Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring after each addition until wilted. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt. Scatter cilantro or parsley on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to serve with chickpea spinach skillet?
On its own with flatbread it's filling and complete. Over rice it becomes more substantial — the sauce soaks in the same way it does with bread. The version with a fried or poached egg on top works well: the yolk mixes into the sauce and adds richness. Over couscous is good too. For a Middle Eastern presentation, serve with warm flatbread and a scoop of hummus on the side.
How to poach eggs in chickpea spinach skillet?
After the spinach has wilted and the sauce is at a steady simmer, use a spoon to make small wells in the chickpea mixture. Crack one egg into each well, cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 4–6 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. This is the shakshuka method — the eggs poach directly in the sauce. Four eggs fit in a 30cm skillet.
How much fibre does this have?
One serving contains about 11g of dietary fibre, mostly from the chickpeas. One cup of cooked chickpeas has around 12g of fibre. Spinach adds a smaller amount. This is roughly a third of the daily recommended intake in a single meal, which is meaningful for gut health without being a hardship to eat.
Can you make this ahead — how does it keep?
It keeps well for 4 days in the fridge. The spinach will be more wilted on day two but the flavour improves as the chickpeas absorb more sauce. Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water. If you prefer firmer chickpeas, stir in a fresh handful before reheating rather than storing everything together.
Is this the same as chana masala?
Related but different. Chana masala uses a more complex spice blend — garam masala, coriander, ginger, often tamarind — and the tomato base cooks longer to develop deeper flavour. This skillet uses a simpler approach and takes 25 minutes rather than 45. Both are good. Chana masala has more depth; this has more speed.
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