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Etli nohut
Lamb and chickpea stew
Etli nohut: lamb and chickpeas stewed in tomato and pepper paste, the Turkish weekday staple with pilaf
Ask anyone in Turkey for the taste of a school lunch or a lokanta set menu and many will say etli nohut with pilav: chickpeas simmered with cubes of lamb, onion, tomato and pepper paste until the sauce is thick and the chickpeas creamy. Spooned over buttery rice with a few pickles alongside, it is cheap, filling and better the next day. Soaking dried chickpeas overnight makes the biggest difference. Common mistake: adding salt and tomato paste before the chickpeas are tender, which keeps them hard. Chef's tip: brown the lamb in batches so it sears instead of stewing in its own juice; that crust flavours the whole pot.
- Total time
- 115 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz dried chickpeassoaked overnight and drained
- 14 oz boneless lamb shouldercut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste
- 2 tomatoesgrated
- 4 ¼ cups hot water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over a high heat and brown 14 oz boneless lamb shoulder in two batches, 4 minutes each, until well coloured.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft.
5 minStep 3: Add 9 oz dried chickpeas and 4 ¼ cups hot water, bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the chickpeas are tender and the lamb is soft.
60 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste, 2 tomatoes, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo chilli flakes) and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes more, until the sauce is thick and red. Common mistake: adding the paste and salt earlier, which keeps the chickpeas hard.
25 minStep 5: Rest for 10 minutes and serve with rice pilaf and pickles.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does etli nohut take?
- About 115 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 100 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 gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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