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Doubara
Doubara: Biskra's spicy street stew of chickpeas with cumin, garlic, harissa and lemon
In Biskra, the oasis town at the gateway to the Algerian Sahara, doubara is street food, ladled from big pots into bowls from late afternoon and through Ramadan nights. Soft chickpeas or broad beans are simmered with cumin and garlic, then dressed with a fiery garlic-harissa sauce, olive oil, lemon and a heap of chopped tomato, onion, parsley and fresh chilli on top. It is hot, sour and very garlicky, filling yet fresh, and eaten with bread. Chef's tip: mash a ladle of the chickpeas into the broth at the end; it thickens the stew so the sauce clings.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chickpeas
- 1 ¾ lb cooked chickpeasdrained, or 300 g dried, soaked and boiled
- 3 cups water
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp salt
For the sauce
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemonjuiced
To top
- 2 tomatoesfinely diced
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 green chilli (optional)finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb cooked chickpeas, 3 cups water, 2 tsp ground cumin, 3 garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt in a pot, bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and the broth is flavoured.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile, pound or stir 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp harissa paste, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 5 tbsp olive oil and 1 lemon into a loose red sauce.
Step 3: Scoop out a ladle of chickpeas, mash them roughly and stir back into the pot. Stir in half the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes more, until thick and soupy.
5 minStep 4: Taste: it should be punchy with garlic and heat. A common mistake is adding all the sauce to the pot; keep half raw to spoon over, which gives doubara its sharp fresh bite.
Step 5: Ladle into bowls, spoon over the rest of the sauce and pile 2 tomatoes, 1 red onion, 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, 1 green chilli and ½ tsp ground cumin on top. Serve hot with bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does doubara take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cooked chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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