Few things make me happier than a bowl of warm musabaha served with freshly baked bread straight from the pan. It’s a combination that shouts comfort, generosity and the simple pleasure of sharing food. Across the Levant, musabaha is a much-loved breakfast or brunch dish, though I’d happily eat it at any time of day. Served with the buttery, soft turmeric and nigella-seed flatbreads, it becomes a meal that is nourishing, intensely satisfying and perfect for gathering family and friends around the table.
Musabaha (warm chickpeas with spicy cherry tomato and coriander salad)
When I’m short of time but craving something nourishing, full of flavour and genuinely satisfying, I turn to murabaha time and again. Unlike hummus, the chickpeas are left whole, then gently warmed and topped with a vibrant salad of spicy cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander and good olive oil. Serve with plenty of the warm flatbreads below for scooping.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
2 400g tins chickpeas, drained
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 large green chilli, finely chopped seeds and all
1 tbsp ground cumin
100g tahini, plus extra to serve
120g greek-style yoghurt
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
For the cherry tomato salad
150g cherry tomatoes,halved
1 mini cucumber (100g), finely diced
½ red pepper (75g), finely diced
20g fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 green chilli, thinly sliced seeds and all
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
1 tsp dried mint
½ tsp aleppo chilli, plus extra for sprinkling
Put the chickpeas in a medium saucepan with enough water just to cover them., put on a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Leave to cook for about five minutes, just to soften them a bit more, then drain, reserving about 300ml of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, put all ingredients for the cherry tomato salad in a medium bowl with half a teaspoon of salt, and mix well.
Put the oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, for two minutes, until the garlic starts to colour, then add the chilli and cook for another minute. Add the drained chickpeas, the reserved cooking liquid, cumin, tahini, yoghurt, lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer, stirring from time to time, for two minutes.
To serve, transfer the warm chickpeas to a large serving plate with a lip or a wide, shallow bowl. Drizzle over some tahini, then spoon the cherry tomato salad on top. Finish with a good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of aleppo chilli, and serve with the flatbreads below.
Turmeric and nigella seed flatbread
I come from a culture where offering freshly baked, warm bread is one of the greatest traditions of hospitality. Whether welcoming unexpected guests or gathering loved ones around the table, bread is always the first thing shared. These golden flatbreads, scented with earthy turmeric and nutty ghee, are perfect for scooping up the warm chickpeas and spicy tomato salad oppositebelow, but they’re equally delicious served with dips or simply drizzled with good olive oil.
Prep 5 min
Rest 10 min
Cook 25 min
Makes 8
150g full-fat greek yoghurt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
350g 00 flour, or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g wholewheat flour
¾ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1½ tsp salt
35g ghee, or butter, melted
Put the yoghurt and bicarb in the bowl of a free-standing mixer with the dough hook attached, and stir well with a spoon. The mix should start bubbling. Add 150ml water, stir again, then add all the remaining ingredients apart from the ghee and mix on low speed for five minutes, until the dough is soft but not sticky.
Divide the dough in 10 equal pieces of about 110g each. Roll each piece into a ball, cover with a damp towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes – this will stop the dough drying out.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a 16cm disc about ½cm thick.
Heat a grill pan until it’s very hot. Lay in one or two dough discs and cook for a minute or two on each side, until the bread is cooked through and has char marks. Remove from the pan, keep warm and repeat with the remaining dough. Brush each flatbread with melted ghee or butter, and serve.
