By Humaira
We’ve been deep in a kitchen remodel for the past five months, which is why I have not posted new recipes. My makeshift kitchen consists of a single burner hot plate, a slow cooker, a microwave and a toaster oven. Our meals have been simple.
Diced cilantro
Today’s recipe was inspired by Taste of Beirut’s fatteh recipe, an ancient dish still quite popular in Lebanon. This layered dish with pita chips as the base, topped with aromatic chickpeas and creamy yogurt sauce reminded me of nachos—also a hearty snack, an appetizer or a meal, if paired with a salad.
I served this dish in a communal platter, like nachos. After devouring the whole dish, my kids suggested serving the chickpeas with the yogurt sauce as a dip and the pita chips on the side—a less messy option. However you choose to serve this appetizer, I guarantee it will be a crowd pleaser.
Afghan Nachos
Chickpeas, Creamy Greek Yogurt and Crispy Pita chips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced green onions
One 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 cup whole Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves diced garlic
8 ounce bag of pita chips
In a sauté pan over high heat add the olive oil, heat. Add green onions, sauté for two minutes or until translucent. Add chickpeas, cumin, and paprika to the pan. Stir frequently so the onions don’t stick to the pan. Once the aroma of cumin fills the kitchen and the chickpeas are warmed through, around five minutes, take the pan off the burner. In a small bowl mix yogurt, salt and garlic.
Arrange the pita chips in beautiful serving platter or bowl—top with the chickpeas and the creamy yogurt sauce.
Serves 6
Greek yogurt with roasted garlic