Rice with Chickpeas

Ingredients

3 large yellow or white onions (about 600 grams or 1.3 pounds)
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt (for the rice)
⅔ tbsp salt (for the chickpeas)
½ tsp ground cumin
2 cups jasmine rice (basmati is also good)
3 cups boiling water
1¼ cups cooked chickpeas

Instructions

In the pot where you'll cook the rice, fry the onions with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook on low heat for 45-55 minutes or on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Stir every few minutes, and if cooking on medium heat, stir more frequently to prevent burning.
In the meantime, cook the chickpeas as mentioned in the recipe notes.
When the onions are caramelized and have a deep brown color, add the rice and cumin, and fry for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the boiling water and stir. Taste the water to check if it needs more salt. Cover the pot and cook on very low heat for 18 minutes without opening it.
After 18 minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for another 10 minutes. Do not open the pot.
After 10 minutes, open the pot and fluff the rice using a fork or spoon.
Stir in the cooked chickpeas and enjoy! 😊
You can serve it with yogurt, tahini, meat, or salad, and it works perfectly as either a side or a main dish.

Notes

Chickpeas: You can either soak dried chickpeas for 12 hours and then cook them for about 1 hour or until very soft, or you can use canned or frozen ones. Just make sure they are super soft when you cook them, as they add the most amazing creaminess.