Hardly anything brings greater pleasure than a steaming serving of musabaha paired alongside skillet-warm, freshly made bread. This combination embodies comfort, generosity, and the pure joy of eating together. Throughout the Levant, musabaha is a treasured morning or brunch classic, though it is just as wonderful at any time of day. Accompanied by soft, buttery turmeric and nigella seed flatbreads, it becomes a wholesome, deeply satisfying meal created for bringing friends and family to the table.
Musabaha (Warm Chickpeas With Spicy Cherry Tomato and Coriander Salad)
Whenever time is limited and I am craving something nourishing, intensely flavourful, and deeply comforting, musabaha is my frequent choice. Unlike traditional hummus, the chickpeas remain whole, warmed gently, and crowned with a vibrant salad of zesty cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, and high-quality olive oil. Accompany the dish with plenty of the warm flatbreads below for scooping.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 large green chilli, finely diced including seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin
100g tahini, plus extra for serving
120g Greek-style yoghurt
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
For the cherry tomato salad:
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 mini cucumber (100g), finely diced
½ red pepper (75g), finely diced
20g fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 green chilli, thinly sliced including seeds
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
1 tsp dried mint
½ tsp Aleppo chilli, plus extra for garnish
Transfer the chickpeas into a medium saucepan and pour in just enough water to submerge them. Place over medium heat to bring to a simmer. Allow them to cook for roughly five minutes to soften further, then drain while reserving approximately 300ml of the cooking liquid.
In the meantime, combine all the cherry tomato salad ingredients in a medium bowl together with half a teaspoon of salt, mixing thoroughly.
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set to medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook, stirring regularly, for two minutes until it begins to take on colour, then introduce the chilli and cook for one additional minute. Mix in the drained chickpeas, reserved broth, cumin, tahini, yoghurt, lemon juice, and one teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the flame to low, and let it simmer for two minutes while stirring occasionally.
To plate, spoon the warm chickpeas into a wide shallow bowl or a lipped platter. Drizzle with extra tahini and spoon the cherry tomato salad over the center. Finish with a generous splash of olive oil and a dusting of Aleppo chilli, serving alongside the freshly prepared flatbreads.
Turmeric and Nigella Seed Flatbreads
I was raised in a culture where serving warm, freshly baked bread is regarded as one of the ultimate expressions of hospitality. Whether greeting drop-in visitors or gathering loved ones around the dining table, bread is always the introductory offering. These golden breads, perfumed with earthy turmeric and nutty ghee, are ideal for scooping up the warm chickpea mixture and spiced tomato salad, though they are equally great alongside dips or simply drizzled with fine olive oil.
Prep 5 min
Rest 10 min
Cook 25 min
Makes 8
150g full-fat Greek yoghurt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
350g 00 flour, or plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
100g wholewheat flour
¾ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1½ tsp salt
35g ghee, or butter, melted
Place the yoghurt and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, stirring thoroughly with a spoon. The mixture will begin to foam and bubble. Pour in 150ml of water, give it another stir, then incorporate all remaining dry ingredients and spices, leaving the ghee aside. Knead on low speed for five minutes until you achieve a soft, non-tacky dough.
Portion the dough into 10 uniform pieces weighing around 110g each. Shape every piece into a smooth ball, cover with a damp cloth, and let them rest for 10 minutes to prevent the surface from drying out.
Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough ball into a round disc roughly 16cm wide and ½cm thick.
Preheat a ridged grill pan until exceptionally hot. Place one or two dough rounds into the dry pan and cook for one to two minutes on each side until fully baked through and marked with char lines. Transfer from the pan, keep warm, and cook the remaining dough discs. Brush each finished flatbread with melted ghee or butter before serving.
Originally published at https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/sep/01/musabaha-warm-chickpeas-and-turmeric-and-nigella-seed-flatbreads-recipe-sami-tamimi.
