Syrian Musabaha Warm Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 4 pita wedges
• 1 tomato, diced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Put the drained chickpeas in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water, half the cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, until they are very soft and some skins have floated free.
2. Musabaha means whole chickpeas swimming in sauce, so cook them until they yield completely when pressed but keep them intact.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest.
4. Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice in a bowl. It will seize into a stiff paste at first; this is normal, so keep whisking and add the reserved cooking liquid a tablespoon at a time until it loosens into a smooth, pourable cream.
5. Whisk in the garlic, the remaining cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste: the sauce should be sharply lemony and pleasantly bitter before it meets the chickpeas.
6. Fold two-thirds of the warm chickpeas into the tahini sauce, crushing a few against the bowl so their starch thickens it. Never heat tahini sauce over direct flame, or it splits and turns grainy.
7. Spread the mixture in a shallow bowl, spoon the remaining whole chickpeas over the top, and drizzle generously with the olive oil.
8. Scatter with the tomato, onion, Aleppo pepper, and fresh herbs, and serve warm with the pita wedges and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains sesame and gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.