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Garbanzos en dulce
Chickpeas in spiced syrup
Garbanzos en dulce: Guatemalan Holy Week chickpeas in spiced panela syrup
In Antigua Guatemala, where the Semana Santa processions walk over carpets of coloured sawdust, the kitchens fill with sweets in dark panela syrup, and chickpeas are among the first to be made. The peeled garbanzos are cooked tender and then simmered slowly in syrup with cinnamon, allspice and cloves until they turn mahogany and glossy, sweet right through but still holding their shape. They are eaten cold from small bowls, often beside sweet mango or fig preserves. Hurrying the syrup is the usual mistake: boil it hard and the chickpeas stay pale inside and the syrup tastes burnt. Chef's tip: rub off the chickpea skins after the first cooking; it takes ten minutes but lets the syrup soak in and gives a silky bite.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried chickpeassoaked overnight in plenty of cold water
- 1.5 litres waterfor cooking, plus more as needed
For the syrup
- 10 ½ oz panela (unrefined cane sugar)grated or broken up
- 2 ½ cups water
- 4 cloves
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz dried chickpeas, put them in a pan with 1.5 litres water and simmer, partly covered, until tender enough to squash between your fingers but still whole. Skim off any foam.
50 minStep 2: Drain and cool slightly, then rub the chickpeas between your palms in a bowl of cold water; the skins float up and can be poured off. Repeat until most are gone.
10 minStep 3: In a clean pan, dissolve 10 ½ oz panela (unrefined cane sugar) in 2 ½ cups water with 2 cinnamon stick, 6 allspice berries and 4 cloves over a medium heat.
5 minStep 4: Add the chickpeas and simmer very gently, uncovered, until the syrup has reduced by about a third, coats the back of a spoon and the chickpeas look dark and glossy.
25 minStep 5: Leave to cool in the syrup, then chill. They keep for a week in a closed jar in the fridge and taste better on the second day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does garbanzos en dulce take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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