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Halabessa
Hot spiced chickpeas in broth
Halabessa: hot chickpeas in their lemony, cumin-spiced cooking broth, sipped from cups on winter nights
Halabessa carts appear on Cairo and Alexandria corners once the winter evenings get cold, with a steaming pot of chickpeas and a stack of cups. The vendor ladles out tender chickpeas with plenty of their cooking broth, then adds salt, cumin, lemon and chilli, and sometimes a spoonful of tomato sauce, so it is half drink, half snack. It warms the hands as much as the stomach. The chickpeas need soaking overnight before cooking. The cardinal mistake is draining the chickpeas: the starchy cooking water is the whole point, so keep every drop. Chef's tip: simmer them very gently with the lid ajar so the broth turns cloudy and silky without the skins breaking.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried chickpeas
- 7 ¼ cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 lemonsjuiced
To finish
- 1 tsp chilli flakes or shatta (optional)
- 4 tbsp tomato passata (optional)heated with a pinch of salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak 9 oz dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain and rinse.
Step 2: Put the chickpeas in a pot with 7 ¼ cups water, bring to the boil and skim off the foam.
10 minStep 3: Partly cover and simmer gently until the chickpeas are very tender and creamy inside and the broth is cloudy. Top up with boiling water if it reduces below the level of the chickpeas.
60 minStep 4: Stir in 1 ½ tsp salt and 2 tsp ground cumin and simmer 5 minutes more.
5 minStep 5: Ladle chickpeas and plenty of broth into cups or small bowls. Add a good squeeze of 2 lemons to each, plus 1 tsp chilli flakes or shatta and 4 tbsp tomato passata if you like, and serve with spoons.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does halabessa take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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