Recipe by Hana Assafiri / @hanaassafiri
As featured in In Residence
There is something about the kitchen that makes a house feel like a home. The chatter, the clink of spoons, the scent of something comforting wafting through the air. At Nelson Alexander, we have always believed that home is made up of these small, lived-in moments.
For our publication [In] Residence, we caught up with Hana Assafiri, co-founder of Moroccan Soup Bar, to talk about a dish that perfectly embodies all of that: her beloved chickpea bake.
“I have always called it chickpea bake,” Hana says. “It is a vegetarian nod to fatteh, the traditional Middle Eastern dish made with bread, broth, and yoghurt. But what we created at Moroccan Soup Bar was something a little different.”
Crisp shards of butter-brushed flatbread. Chickpeas simmered until tender. Garlic-laced yoghurt. Toasted almonds. A whisper of smoky paprika. And then the moment. Pour hot butter and almonds over the cold yoghurt and listen for the sharp, sizzling ‘tsh.’ It is not just noise. It is tradition, texture, ritual. It is when the dish comes alive.
What started in a kitchen run by women finding their feet in a new country quickly became more than a dish. Comforting, generous, and full of heart, it became something that anchored the community. “It was never meant to be the star,” Hana reflects. “But the community decided otherwise.”
The kitchen is always the heart of the home. Hana’s chickpea bake is the perfect example of why. It is a ritual, a story, and a reason to gather people around the table.
Hana Assafiri, founder of Moroccan Soup Bar, brings community and comfort to the table.
Getting started
If you are looking for a recipe to impress at your next dinner, this chickpea bake is perfect. It is generous, comforting, and best served straight from the tray with good company, a squeeze of lemon, and maybe a cup of mint tea on the side.
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2–3 flatbreads (pita or lavash)
- 200g unsalted butter
- 300g plain yoghurt
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp tahini
- 100g slivered almonds
- 3 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Method
- Simmer the chickpeas. Cover with water, about 5cm above the beans, and cook for 30–45 minutes, or until tender. Top up the water as needed.
- Toast the flatbread. Preheat oven to 250°C. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 3–5 minutes until crisp. Break into shards.
- Make the yoghurt sauce. Crush garlic with salt into a paste, then mix into yoghurt with tahini until smooth.
- Layer the bake. In a tray, place flatbread shards, hot chickpeas about 2cm thick, garlic yoghurt, then a sprinkle of paprika.
- Butter and almonds. Toast almonds in melted butter until golden. Pour over the yoghurt layer while still sizzling. Listen for the ‘tsh.’ That is the moment the dish comes alive.
- Finish and serve. Scatter parsley on top and serve immediately, straight from the tray, with lemon wedges and mint tea if you like.
More than a recipe, a dish to share.
Hana’s chickpea bake is not just a recipe. It is a story, a ritual, and a reminder that food is a connection. The sizzle, the warmth, the generosity, it is everything that makes a house feel like a home.
“Cooking, sharing, sitting down together, it is all about connection,” Hana says. “This bake is simple, but it carries everything that home should feel like.”
Next time you are entertaining, try it. Pour the butter, hear the ‘tsh,’ watch everyone gather around the tray, and let it remind you that the best moments are the ones we share.
For more recipe inspiration from our local community, click here.
