Moroccan Markasha – Noodles with Lamb and Chickpeas with homemade cooked chickpeas

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade cooked chickpeas ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Drain, cover with plenty of unsalted water and cook 1.5–2 hours, skimming off the foam and skins from time to time, until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between your fingers.

   ColanderStovePot

   💡Fully cooked chickpeas crush between your fingers with no resistance at all. Chickpeas that stay a little firm make a grainy spread, and no amount of tahini will fix it.
3. 3
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Fried onion

1. 4
   Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   StoveLarge pot
2. 5
   Add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.

To assemble

1. 6
   Add the turmeric, cumin and paprika and stir for a minute, until fragrant.
2. 7
   Add the meat and fry 5 minutes, turning, until the meat is browned on all sides.

   Stove
3. 8
   Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.

   Stove
4. 9
   Turn down the heat and simmer 30 minutes, until the meat is tender.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 10
   Add the chickpeas and cook 10 more minutes.

   Stove
6. 11
   Add the pasta and cook 8–10 more minutes, until the pasta is tender.

   Stove

   💡Hard vegetables (carrots, celery, potatoes) cook from the start; zucchini and pasta go in at the end so they don't fall apart.

   💡Small pasta keeps absorbing liquid even after cooking: if you're not serving right away, cook it separately and add it to each bowl.
7. 12
   Season with salt and black pepper, taste and adjust.
8. 13
   Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve.