Braised spinach and chickpeas with haloumi

Braised Spinach & Chickpeas With Haloumi

Other greens such as rocket or carrot tops may be used in this dish. The greens become infused with spicy oil and melt in the mouth. The dish is served with onions flavoured with sumac (the dried and ground sour and fruity berries of the sumac bush), available from Middle Eastern stores.

4 tbsp olive oil
½ Spanish onion, finely sliced
6 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp harissa ras el hanout (spice mix)
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp sumac
4 handfuls English spinach or other greens, washed
½ cup cooked chickpeas
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt & fresh black pepper
200g haloumi cheese
200ml vegetable stock or water

Heat oil in a heavy-based pot and add onion, garlic, harissa allspice and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the greens and reduce the heat. Cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated. After 15 minutes, return to a high heat to finish evaporating the liquid. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, salt and pepper and transfer to an ovenproof serving dish. Cover the surface with thinly sliced haloumi and bake at 180ºC for 10–15 minutes to melt the cheese.

Scatter with the Spanish onion slices, sumac and a pinch of salt. Let it mingle for 30 minutes. Serve with pitta or Turkish bread sprinkled with nigella seeds, which taste like a cross between pepper and poppy seeds. Serves 4–6.

(Note: Haloumi can be made from cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk but is traditionally made from a combination of the three.)