Indulge in a comforting and satisfying meal with warm chickpeas, a spicy fresh tomato salad, and soft homemade flatbreads. The chickpeas are gently warmed rather than blended, creating a rustic texture that complements the flavors of tahini, yogurt, lemon, and aromatic spices. This dish, known as Musabaha with Spicy Cherry Tomato and Coriander Salad, is a delightful culinary experience.
To prepare this dish, you’ll need to start with the chickpeas. Use two 400g cans of drained chickpeas and place them in a saucepan, covering them with water. Simmer gently over medium heat for about five minutes, then drain, reserving approximately 300ml of the cooking liquid. In a separate bowl, make the salad by mixing halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced cucumber, red pepper, fresh coriander, thinly sliced spring onions, a green chili, and crushed garlic. Season it with lemon juice, white-wine vinegar, olive oil, sumac, dried mint, Aleppo chili, and a pinch of salt.
In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook crushed garlic until lightly golden, adding chopped chili for an extra minute. Stir in the chickpeas, reserved cooking liquid, cumin, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt, bringing the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to simmer for two minutes. Transfer the warm chickpeas to a shallow serving dish, drizzle with tahini and olive oil, and top with the spicy tomato salad. Sprinkle a little Aleppo chili on top and serve immediately with warm flatbreads.
To make Turmeric and Nigella Seed Flatbreads, combine full-fat Greek yogurt with bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl, allowing the mixture to bubble. Add water, 00 flour, wholewheat flour, ground turmeric, nigella seeds, and salt. Knead the mixture using a dough hook on low speed for about five minutes until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into eight equal portions, roll into balls, and let them rest covered with a damp towel for ten minutes. Roll each ball into a round, 16cm wide and ½cm thick, then cook on a hot grill or heavy frying pan for one to two minutes on each side. Brush with melted ghee or butter and keep warm until ready to serve.
For an optimal dining experience, serve the golden flatbreads alongside the warm musabaha. Tear off pieces of bread to scoop up the chickpeas and fresh tomato salad, creating a simple yet flavorful meal. This combination of vibrant flavors and textures promises a delightful culinary adventure.