Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.
The North African Jewish food of the Maghreb region with its distinctive spice palettes fascinates me.
Lately, I’ve been exploring Tunisian Jewish recipes fragrant with coriander, chiles, caraway, salt and garlic. This combination, said to have arrived with Jews and Muslims fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, is called tabil. It is usually made with whole spices finely crushed in a mortar and pestle and slowly roasted in the hot sun.
My Tunisian-Spiced Chickpeas and Greens stew uses ground spices sautéed to release their flavors. You can serve the dish with Caraway Challah and garnish it with labneh and a tomato topping. You can also top it with harissa (North African hot sauce), z’hug (Yemenite hot sauce) or finely chopped preserved lemon — all of which are available in specialty, kosher and Middle Eastern markets. For a vegan meal, use a vegan challah recipe and plant-based yogurt. To go gluten-free, skip the challah and serve over baked sweet potatoes.
Tunisian-Spiced Chickpeas and Greens
Serves 4 as main dish
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 Tbs. minced garlic
- 1 Tbs. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground caraway (see notes)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. red chili flakes or to taste
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- 2 cups sliced carrots (¼-inch rounds)
- About 2 cups water or vegetable stock, divided
- 2½ cups cooked (two 14 oz. cans) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups arugula leaves or chopped chard leaves
- ½ to 1 tsp. harissa or z’hug or to taste
- ½ cup labneh or plain Greek-style yogurt
- Tomato-Green Onion Topping (see below) or ¼ cup chopped parsley
- Finely chopped preserved lemon and/or extra harissa or z’hug for garnish
- Caraway Challah (see below), cooked couscous or baked sweet potatoes
In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs. oil on medium-high heat. Add onions. Sauté until onions soften, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until golden, 1-2 minutes. Add coriander, caraway, cumin, chili flakes and salt. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add carrots. Sauté 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Let carrots steam, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through (8-10 minutes), adding water by the tablespoon as needed.
Once all liquid has evaporated, stir in remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Once sizzling, stir in chickpeas. Add half of arugula. Sauté 1-2 minutes until beginning to wilt, then add remaining arugula. Sauté 2-4 minutes until greens are wilted. Stir in ½ cup water and the harissa. Sauté a few minutes until chickpeas are heated through and carrots are tender, adding water by the tablespoon if needed to make sure the dish has a light sauce and isn’t dry. Taste and add more salt, chili flakes and or harissa as needed.
Serve with Caraway Challah or over cooked couscous or baked sweet potatoes. Garnish with labneh, tomato topping and finely chopped preserved lemon or extra harissa or z’hug to taste.
Notes: If ground caraway is unavailable, finely grind heaping ¾ tsp. whole caraway seeds in a spice or coffee grinder or with mortar and pestle.
Tomato-Green Onion Topping: Chop 3 large, ripe tomatoes, 2 green onions (white and green parts) and ¼ cup parsley. Mix. Stir in 1-2 Tbs. minced lemon zest and salt (optional) to taste.
Caraway Challah: Use your favorite one-pound challah recipe (or mine). After first rise, braid into loaf or divide dough into 16 equal balls. After the second rise, brush with egg wash and top with 2-3 Tbs. whole caraway seeds. Bake as directed in recipe or at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes for loaf and about 15-18 minutes for rolls.
