Smoky chickpeas with coriander tahini
Qdameh or leblebi are believed to have come to the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe from Iran around the fifteenth century.
Qdameh is a favourite Middle Eastern roasted chickpea snack, which is eaten as you would eat salted nuts. As kids, we used to be able to buy them wrapped in a paper cone and snack on them on the way back from school. Somehow, these scrumptious things have gone out of fashion and are slightly harder to find nowadays.
You can serve the chickpeas on their own and have them as a healthy snack or to accompany drinks.
In a culinary twist, I sought to reimagine qdameh as deconstructed hummus, which is a simple yet elegant dish to kick off any meal or serve as a starter. Picture it: a platter filled with za’atar & anise crackers or bread alongside a plate of these delicious roasted, chickpeas.
This recipe is an extract from Sami Tamimi's book Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine
