Chickpeas have been a part of Turkish food for thousands of years and the region is one of the few places where wild chickpeas can be found today. With this in mind I have decided to start the week with a Turkish dish. The dish I chose was a simple chickpea stew called Nohut Yahnisi. The stew combines chickpeas, tomato and spinach spiced with fennel seeds, cumin, fresh mint and dill.
The chickpeas provide a soft crunch and a subtle nutty flavour and really form the substance to the stew. The fresh tomatoes provided a wonderful acid balance to the dish which would also be heightened with the addition of natural yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon. One of the real stars of this dish however is the fennel seeds. The seeds provide an underlying aniseed flavour that really holds the dish together without taking over. The addition of fresh herbs at the end of the dish provides a brightness in flavour that lightens and lifts the dish. Balance is the key here and this dish combines these simple elements perfectly.
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