Lebanese chickpea stew is a delicious, vibrant, smoky dish served in almost all restaurants and eateries. It is one of the staple food items in Middle Eastern cuisine, and thanks to the za’atar warmth and flavor, you will love the taste and satisfy your taste buds.
It is a weeknight recipe cooked with rich tomato paste and red bell pepper. Thanks to the high-level dietary fiber, eating the Lebanese chickpeas stew can improve your digestive system. It also contains calcium and magnesium to strengthen your musculoskeletal system. Here is how you can cook Lebanese chickpea stew at home. Read on!
Ingredients
- Two 15-ounce canned chickpeas
- One tablespoon of cumin
- Three teaspoons of za’atar
- Five cloves of garlic
- Two bay leaves
- One teaspoon of paprika
- One teaspoon of pepper flakes
- Two tablespoons of tomato paste
- One large roasted bell pepper
- Two teaspoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
- Two tablespoons of parsley
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Use a pestle or mortar to crush the cumin and garlic
- Create a coarse paste of cumin and garlic
- Heat the vegetable or olive oil in the saucepan
- Add the garlic and cumin mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Put the tomato paste, paprika, and red pepper flakes into the saucepan
- Cook and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes
- Now, put the chickpeas into the saucepan and stir to mix thoroughly
- Add 4-5 cups of water and za’atar
- Add the roasted bell pepper and bay leaves and continue stirring
- Lower the heat until the mixture boils gently
- Cook for 15-20 minutes to ensure the stew has a thick texture
- Add salt to taste and put some parsley
- Now, turn off the heat
- Serve the chickpeas stew with white or brown rice
- You can also serve it with white pita bread