Pickled Chickpeas

I am finally getting around to posting this recipe! I have made it countless times, have shared it with my friends who love eating as much as I do and everyone just loves this dish. I am quite obsessed with it at the moment and it doesn’t last more than a few hours in my fridge.

In the Caribbean we love to pickle things; mangoes, pineapple, cucumbers, figs, green bananas, breadfruit, golden apples, meat and seafood. The combination of salty, tangy and spicy flavours is irresistible. These pickled dishes are normally served as a refreshing side dish with meals that are a bit on the heavier side.

Because I love these flavours I thought it may go well with one of my other favourite things; chickpeas. These are some magical beans which are high in fiber and protein and contain several key vitamins and minerals. I much prefer to cook chickpeas at home rather than buying them canned. They just taste so much better and also you can completely control the sodium content. Canned work perfectly fine as well for this recipe so don’t stress if cooking beans from scratch is just not your thing.

The heat from this dish comes from scotch bonnet pepper which is a variety of chili pepper native to the Caribbean and is used in hot sauces and to add heat to many different dishes. It has a slightly sweet flavour but is very very hot so you really only need a sliver for this dish. Steer clear of the seeds and do not rub your eyes or your face after dealing with these peppers as they will BURN. Wash your hands really well after cutting them up. Wearing gloves is another great option when preparing them. If you don’t have scotch bonnets to hand some ground cayenne pepper will do the trick nicely to add the heat to this dish…just a sprinkle will do!

This recipe is simple, refreshing, quick and healthy. I find it addictive and moreish so be prepared to make batches and batches of this deliciousness!