Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Soaking time: 12 to 24 hours

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Drain the chickpeas from their liquid and set aside.

Put the onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli into a food processor and pulse a few times until very finely chopped but not puréed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the coriander and pulse a couple of times more, to mix through.

Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof cast-iron pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the cumin, cinnamon, dates and tomato paste and cook for a minute more, or until fragrant. Add the drained chickpeas, carrots, bay leaves, ¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, 1¾ teaspoons of salt, 1.2 litres of water and a good grind of black pepper and bring to the boil, skimming the scum from the surface as needed. Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 2 hours, or until the chickpeas are completely softened and the sauce has become thick and rich. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

While the chickpeas are cooking, make the marinated feta by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl and setting aside for the flavours to infuse.

Divide the chickpea mixture between 4–6 bowls and top each with some of the feta, serving any extra alongside.

Marinated feta:

– Make the feta sans parsley, seal it off with more oil, and keep it in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to a week.

– Spoon it over salads or soups, or serve with the sweet ’n’ sour peppers (p. 118 of Extra Good Things).