Prepared in an easy style, this is one of the easiest and simplest summer stews for taking advantage of the abundant summer zucchini. Lebanese zucchini are light green and small . . . the smaller, the better, mainly to use for mehsheh, stuffed vegetables (meaty or meatless versions).
- 1 cup (250 g) dried chickpeas
- 1 3/4 pounds (800 g) yellow onions
- 1 fresh red or green chile pepper
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) zucchini
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Salt
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) tomatoes
- Kamal Mouzawak
- kamal@soukeltayeb.com
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Soak the chickpeas overnight in water to cover. Drain, place in a saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until cooked.
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Thinly slice the onions and chop the chile pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions, whole garlic cloves, and chile pepper until the onions turn translucent, about 15 minutes.
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Cut the zucchini into cubes, add to the onions, and sauté until the zucchini pieces start coloring, about 10 minutes. Season with the allspice, white pepper, and salt to taste.
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Peel the tomatoes if desired (blanch them in boiling water for a minute to loosen the skins), finely chop, and add to the zucchini. Add the chickpeas, stir, and cook the stew over low heat for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Yield 4 servings
