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Etli Nohut

Serves 4 to 6 Entree meat

Etli Nohut

Etli Nohut, a beloved staple from Anatolia, finds its way to tables during cold months, offering warmth and sustenance. This dish is a home-cooked classic, where lamb cubes and chickpeas meet in a comforting embrace. Traditionally, it's prepared in large pots to be shared with family and friends, capturing the essence of communal dining.

The dish should taste hearty and rich, with tender lamb and chickpeas absorbing the robust flavors of tomato and onion. Each spoonful delivers a satisfying blend of meaty richness and earthy chickpeas, seasoned with just the right amount of salt and pepper. It's a dish that invites you to savor each bite, reflecting the essence of Turkish home cooking.

Ingredients

  • 500 glamb cubes
  • 400 gchickpeas — soaked
  • 1onion
  • 2 tbsptomato paste
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Begin by seasoning 500 g of lamb cubes with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste. Ensure each piece is evenly coated by tossing them gently in a bowl. This step helps to enhance the meat's natural flavors and prepares it for browning.
  2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add a generous amount of oil, enough to coat the bottom. Once the oil is shimmering, add the seasoned lamb cubes in a single layer. Brown the meat on all sides, turning occasionally, until each piece develops a deep, rich color. This should take about 5-7 minutes, and the goal is to create a flavorful crust on the meat.
  3. While the meat is browning, finely chop 1 onion. Once the lamb is browned, remove it from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, add the chopped onion, reducing the heat to medium. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent and soft, stirring occasionally to lift any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, which will add depth to the dish.
  4. Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste to the softened onions. Stir well to combine, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and loses its raw smell. This step intensifies the tomato flavor and integrates it into the base of the dish.
  5. Return the browned lamb cubes to the pot, along with 400 g of chickpeas. Stir everything together to ensure the meat and chickpeas are well coated with the tomato-onion mixture. Add enough water to just cover the ingredients, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  6. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and allow the mixture to braise slowly. Cook until the lamb is tender and the chickpeas have absorbed the flavors, about 1-1.5 hours. The dish is ready when the lamb is fork-tender and the chickpeas are soft but not mushy, with a rich, aromatic sauce.
  7. Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning with more salt and black pepper if needed. Serve the Etli Nohut hot, accompanied by rice, fresh bread, or a simple salad, allowing the flavors to shine in a communal, family-style setting.
Cover of Authentic Turkish Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Turkish Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Turkish Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Turkish volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

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