Drain the chickpeas and place in a saucepan, add plenty of salted water and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat down and cook the chickpeas for 5 minutes. Drain them and reserve about ½ cup (125ml) of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, but do not let it colour. Add the chickpeas, then the tomatoes and the chili pepper. Taste to see if salt is necessary, add pepper, pour in the reserved chickpea cooking liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Dissolve the saffron in a little water and add it to the pan. Mix well and simmer for 1-2 more minutes. Transfer to bowl and serve.

COOK'S TIP: Saffron is produced by drying the stamens of a certain type of crocus. There are only 3 in each flower, so one can understand why the spice is so expensive.