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Tbikha
طبيخة (tbikha): Tunisian spring stew of fresh broad beans, peas and artichokes with garlic and harissa
Tbikha is cooked in Tunisian homes in March and April, when market stalls in Tunis, Sfax and the Cap Bon are heaped with fresh broad beans, peas and baby artichokes. The vegetables are stewed together in a little olive oil with garlic, tomato, harissa and caraway until tender, then finished with lots of coriander and dill. It is eaten warm with crusty bread to mop up the reddish, garlicky juices, and often with a few olives on the side. The usual mistake is overcooking the peas into khaki mush: they go in for the last few minutes only. Chef's tip: drop the trimmed artichokes into lemony water as you prepare them so they stay pale and don't turn bitter.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 lemonjuiced
- 6 baby artichokes (or 400 g frozen artichoke hearts)trimmed and quartered
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tbsp harissa
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 9 oz fresh or frozen peas
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- ⅓ oz fresh dillchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix half the ½ lemon juice into a bowl of cold water and drop in the 6 baby artichokes (or 400 g frozen artichoke hearts) as you trim them.
10 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pot over a medium heat and soften 1 onion for 6 minutes. Add 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp harissa, 1 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tsp ground caraway and 1 tsp paprika and stir for 1 minute until the oil turns red.
7 minStep 3: Drain the artichokes and add them with 14 oz fresh or frozen broad beans (shelled weight), 1 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until a knife slides easily into the artichoke hearts.
15 minStep 4: Add 9 oz fresh or frozen peas and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the peas are just tender and the sauce has reduced to a light coating.
5 minStep 5: Stir in the rest of the ½ lemon, ½ oz fresh coriander and ⅓ oz fresh dill. Serve warm with bread.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tbikha take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 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 lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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