Arabic recipesStarters
Msabbaha: Warm Levantine Chickpeas Swimming in Tahini Sauce
Msabbaha is a beloved Levantine breakfast and Ramadan suhoor bowl in which tender whole chickpeas are folded warm into a whipped sauce of tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and hot chickpea cooking liquid. Finished with extra-virgin olive oil, ground cumin, and sumac, it is scooped up straight from the bowl with warm flatbread.
Also known as:Musabaha / MasbahaWarm whole-chickpea hummusDamascene msabbaha
Servings4
Prep time15 min
Cook time10 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 500 g very tender cooked chickpeas plus 200 ml hot cooking liquid
- 120 g smooth sesame tahini
- 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp plain whole-milk yogurt (optional Damascene style)
- 2 garlic cloves crushed to a smooth paste with 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin plus a pinch of sumac and sweet paprika
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preparation Steps
- 1Simmer the chickpeas gently in water for 10 minutes until piping hot and buttery soft; coarsely mash one-third with a fork and keep the remaining two-thirds whole.
- 2Whisk the tahini with lemon juice, garlic paste, and optional yogurt until thick, then stream in warm chickpea cooking water until pale, silky, and pourable.
- 3Fold the mashed chickpeas and most of the hot drained whole chickpeas gently into the tahini sauce so they swim in the warm emulsion.
- 4Spoon into a shallow earthenware bowl and pile the reserved hot chickpeas in the centre.
- 5Dust with cumin, sumac, and parsley, pool generously with olive oil, and serve immediately while warm with flatbread, scallions, and pickles.
