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Topik
Topik: Istanbul Armenian Lenten chickpea parcels with spiced onion and pine nuts
Topik belongs to the Armenian community of Istanbul, where it is still made for Lent and served at Armenian restaurants in Kurtuluş: a smooth shell of mashed chickpeas and potato wrapped around a filling of slow-cooked onions with pine nuts, currants, cinnamon, allspice and tahini, tied in muslin and steamed. It is served cold in slices with lemon and a drizzle of oil. A common mistake is rushing the onions; they must cook down to a sweet, jammy mass, which takes the best part of an hour. Chef's tip: spread the chickpea mash on a damp cloth to wrap it, which makes it easy to roll into a neat ball without cracks.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the shell
- 1 ⅛ lb cooked chickpeasskins rubbed off
- 10 ½ oz potatoesa floury variety, peeled, boiled and mashed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling
- 2 ¼ lb onionsfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ⅜ oz pine nutstoasted
- 1 ⅜ oz currants
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 1 lemonin wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 2: Stir in 1 ⅜ oz pine nuts, 1 ⅜ oz currants, 3 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt. Cool completely.
Step 3: Mash 1 ⅛ lb cooked chickpeas with 10 ½ oz potatoes, ½ tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp salt into a smooth, firm paste.
Step 4: Divide shell and filling into 6. Wet a square of muslin, spread a portion of shell on it in a 15 cm circle, put filling in the middle and gather the cloth to close the shell around it into a ball. Twist and tie the top.
Step 5: Steam the parcels over simmering water for 30 minutes, until firm. Cool, then chill for at least 4 hours.
30 minStep 6: Unwrap, slice and serve cold with 1 lemon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does topik take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- 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 cooked chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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