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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large deep baking dish and set aside. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, roughly chop the parsley, and cut the lemon into wedges.
1.5 cup long-grain rice,
1 piece yellow onion,
6 clove garlic,
5 tbsp olive oil,
0.5 cup fresh parsley,
1 piece lemon
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2. In the prepared baking dish, combine the drained rice, chopped onion, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, dried oregano, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, half of the salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Stir well to evenly distribute the rice and aromatics, then drizzle in part of the olive oil and stir again.
2 cup canned crushed tomatoes,
3.2 cup vegetable broth,
1 tsp dried oregano,
1 piece bay leaf,
0.8 tsp salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper,
0.2 tsp red pepper flakes
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3. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake on the middle rack for 35 minutes, then remove the foil, gently fluff the rice with a fork, and smooth it back into an even layer. Re-cover the dish and return it to the oven while you prepare the chickpeas.
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4. Pat the drained chickpeas very dry with a clean towel. In a bowl, toss them with the remaining olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, the remaining salt, and a few grinds of black pepper until evenly coated.
2 can canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed),
2 tsp smoked paprika,
1 tsp ground cumin,
1.5 tsp salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper
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5. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread the seasoned chickpeas in a single layer. Place the baking sheet on a rack above or below the rice and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through, until the chickpeas are deep golden and crisp at the edges.
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6. After the rice has baked for about 50 to 55 minutes total, remove the foil and check that the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Discard the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt and black pepper if needed.
1 piece bay leaf,
1.5 tsp salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper
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7. Mound the hot smoky chickpeas evenly over the surface of the tomato rice. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing over each portion.
0.5 cup fresh parsley,
1 piece lemon
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8. For extra texture, return the assembled dish to the oven, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to let the top chickpeas and rice edges become even crispier before garnishing and serving.
By mansi