Revithada (Greek Slow Cooked Chickpea Stew with Tomato and Lemon)

• 300 g Dried chickpeas
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 400 g Canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 Lemon
• 1.2 liters Water
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt

1. Put the chickpeas in a bowl, cover generously with cold water, and leave to soak for 10–12 hours. Drain and rinse well in a colander.
2. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Thinly slice the onion and slice the garlic.
3. Tip the chickpeas into a Dutch oven and add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, black pepper, canned tomatoes, olive oil, fine sea salt, and water. Bring to a gentle simmer on the hob, skimming any foam that rises.
4. Cover and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 45–60 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chickpeas are very tender and the stew is creamy and thick. If it looks dry at any point, add a splash of water and continue baking.
5. Finely grate the lemon zest, then squeeze in the juice. Stir into the stew, taste, and adjust with a little more fine sea salt and black pepper if needed.
6. Rest for 10 minutes so the stew settles and thickens slightly, then serve hot with extra lemon at the table if you like.

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