Musabaha, a warm and comforting dish featuring creamy chickpeas, is perfectly complemented by a spicy cherry tomato and coriander salad, creating a satisfying meal when paired with homemade flatbreads. Unlike traditional methods that blend chickpeas, this recipe gently heats them, providing a rustic texture that harmonizes with tahini, yoghurt, lemon, and a blend of aromatic spices.
To prepare the chickpeas, begin by draining two 400g cans and placing them in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Simmer gently for about five minutes before draining, reserving 300ml of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, for the salad, combine halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced cucumber, red pepper, fresh coriander, spring onions, green chilli, and crushed garlic in a bowl. Add lemon juice, white-wine vinegar, olive oil, sumac, dried mint, Aleppo chilli, and salt, mixing thoroughly and setting aside.
In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook crushed garlic until lightly golden, about two minutes. Add finely chopped green chilli and cook for another minute. Then, add the chickpeas, reserved cooking liquid, ground cumin, tahini, Greek-style yoghurt, lemon juice, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the warm chickpeas to a shallow serving dish, drizzle with tahini and olive oil, and top with the spicy tomato salad. Garnish with a little Aleppo chilli and serve immediately with warm flatbreads.
The accompanying turmeric and nigella seed flatbreads are quick to prepare, requiring just five minutes of prep time, ten minutes of resting, and 25 minutes of cooking to yield eight servings. Mix full-fat Greek yoghurt with bicarbonate of soda until bubbly, then add water, 00 flour, wholewheat flour, turmeric, nigella seeds, and salt. Knead the mixture into a soft dough, divide into eight portions, roll each into a ball, and let rest under a damp towel for ten minutes. Roll each ball into rounds, grilling them for one to two minutes on each side until cooked through and lightly charred. Brush with melted ghee or butter to finish.
These golden flatbreads are best served immediately alongside the musabaha. Tear pieces of the bread to scoop up the chickpeas and fresh tomato salad, creating a simple and flavorful dining experience that is as nourishing as it is delicious.