Chickpeas with Za'tar -Pita Sandwich
Mix cooked chickpeas with Za'atar seasoning mix, Sumac, salt and pepper and set aside. To make Tahini sauce, whisk Tahini with lemon juice, Fresh Chilli paste, and water till smooth. Slice tomatoes and onions, and shred lettuce. Warm the pita pockets briefly, and stuff: first with the seasoned chickpeas, then the toppings and finish by drizzling some Tahini sauce over the toppings.
Equipment
- Microwave oven or toaster oven to warm the pita bread; if not available, this can be done with a hot griddle on the stove-top.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Cooked Chickpeas Canned OK - one 15 oz can, drained; for cooking chickpeas from dry beans, check for directions in Recipe Notes.
- 2 tbsp Za'atar seasoning mix available at middle-Eastern grocery stores; if not available, see Recipe Notes for easy substitute
- 1 tsp Crushed red pepper also called Chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Sumac if not available, use Anardana (Pomegranate seeds) powder, Amchur (dried green mango powder), or Sour Grape powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt adjust as per preference; if using unsalted chickpeas, may need to add a little extra salt - upto 1/4 tsp more.
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper - freshly crushed preferred
- 4 loaves Pocket Pita bread White or whole wheat: store-bought or home-made
Tahini sauce/dressing - makes about 5-6 tbsp
- 2 tbsp Tahini
- 1 1/2 tbsp Lime/lemon juice: freshly squeezed
- 1 1/2 tbsp Water add a bit more as needed to adjust consistency - about 2 tbsp total
- 1 tsp Fresh red chilli paste adjust Sambal Oelek works well; if not available, add a pinch of cayenne
- 1/16 tsp Salt adjust as per preference - no more than 1/8 tsp total
- 1/8 tsp Dried mint (optional) alternatively, use a pinch of crushed dried thyme (less than 1/8 tsp)
Toppings
- 1 cup Tomatoes - sliced Roma tomatoes preferred; other tomatoes OK too; if using small cherry/grape tomatoes, slice into halves or quarters.
- 1/2 cup Onions - sliced any variety (red, yellow, white) OK. Shallots OK too
- 1 cup Iceberg lettuce - shredded if not available, other variety of lettuce OK
- 2 tbsp Feta cheese (optional) - crumbled low fat preferred
- 1 tbsp Pine nuts (optional) for nut-free: use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp Olives (optional) - sliced any kind: green, black, etc.
Instructions
- Place cooked chick peas in a mixing bowl. Add Za'atar, Sumac, salt, pepper and mix. Cover and set aside for flavors to blend while you prepare the toppings and Tahini sauce.
Make Tahini Sauce
- Place Tahini in a small bowl. Add lime/lemon juice and whisk with a fork. The mixture becomes thick and fluffy as you mix.
- Add water, 1 tsp at a time, whisking after each addition till blended.
- Stir in fresh chilli paste (or cayenne) and mint (if using)
Toppings
- Slice the tomatoes and onions
- Shred the lettuce
- Crumble the feta cheese (optional)
Assemble the sandwich
- Cut the pita loaves in half. Wrap in damp paper towel and microwave 10-15 seconds to soften.
- Divide the chickpeas into 8 portions - about 3 tbsp each. Fill each pita pocket with chickpeas portions.Add onions, tomatoes lettuce, feta, as well as feta, olives, pine nuts, if using.Drizzle with spicy Tahini dressing and serve immediately. Note: the assembled sandwich will become soggy and fall apart if left for too long. Ideally, assemble the sandwich just before you eat it.Arrange extra toppings on the side.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If cooking chickpeas from dry beans:
Best to plan this a day in advance. You will need to start about 10-12 hours in advance: 8-10 hours for soaking the beans, about 25-30 min for pressure cooking the beans, and 10-15 min for pressure to release.- Rinse 2/3 cup dry chickpeas 2-3 times with clean water, scrubbing a little to remove surface dirt (be sure to first pick out any small stones, etc. that may be present) and transfer to a bowl.
- Add 1 cup water, cover and soak overnight (or about 8-10 hours)
- Most of the water will be absorbed as the beans swell. Do NOT drain the soaking water.
- Transfer soaked beans and any remaining soaking water to a pressure-cooker insert container. Add a small piece of cinnamon (stick), 6-8 whole black peppercorn and a bay leaf - broken into 3-4 pieces. Push spices under the soaked beans so the flavor is infused into the cooking water.
- Add a little more water, if needed, to barely cover the beans.
- Place a rack in the pressure cooker. Add 1 1/2 cups water.
- Place the container with prepared chickpeas on the rack. Close the lid and start heating. Cook for 25-30 min at full pressure. Aloow pressure to release normally.
- The chick peas should be cooked soft but not mushy. Test for done-ness by gently pressing one bean (careful, it might be very hot!) between your index finger and thumb - it should mash easily.
- Cool the cooked chickpeas to room temp, then drain in a colander placed over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid. Save the drained liquid - it is rich in nutrients and flavor- perfect for adding to soup or bread dough, etc.
- Use the drained chickpeas- do NOT rinse- to proceed with the recipe.
Za'atar seasoning substitute:
If you cannot find authentic ready-made Za'atar seasoning, you can use the following substitute mixture for seasoning the chickpeas. Mix the following ingredients thoroughly: this should be just enough for this recipe. If you like it, you can mix it in a larger batch and store up to 1 month.- 2 tsp each dried thyme, oregano, parsley
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 tbsp lightly toasted sesame seeds
- pinch of salt
Nutrition
Serving: 2sandwichesCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 15gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 632mgPotassium: 510mgFiber: 9gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 833IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 6mg
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