Tunisian Lablabi - لبلابي

Lablabi is Tunisia's national dish. It is very common in eateries all around the country as it is very quick to plate up once you have the base for the dish. The base for the dish is simply a chickpea soup flavoured with garlic and cumin. I cooked the chickpea soup in our slow cooker but you can cook it on the hob by letting it simmer for 3 hours on low/medium heat. It is very important though that if you do not cook the chickpeas in the slow cooker you need to pre-soak the chickpeas before cooking. Once you have the soup, it's all easy peasy from there onwards. Give it a go...you will love it. You will need...

For the soup

500g dried chickpeas 

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 litres boiling water

½ tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

To plate up...

• 4 small French Baguettes or other crusty bead
• Tunisian Harissa paste
• 1 Lime, cut into quarters
• Capers
• Olives
• 2 cans Tuna chunks
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Soft boiled eggs
• Ground cumin, to taste

How to...

1. Start by cooking the chickpeas in the slow cooker or on the hob. Remember to pre-soak them if not using the slow cooker. Put the chickpeas in the slow cooker add the garlic cloves, ground cumin, bicarbonate of soda and cover with the boiling water and cook for 4 hours on high. Alternatively, simmer on the hob for 3 hours on a low/medium heat.
2. When the soup is done, cook the eggs to your liking. Traditionally.the egg is served either raw (it cooks in the hot soup) or else soft boiled. To cook a soft boiled egg just plunge it into boiling water for 3 minutes. If you want it hard boiled, leave it for 8 minutes.
3. You are now ready to plate up. Firstly start by tearing the bread by hand into bite pieces and placing it at the bottom of the bowl. Now pour 2 ladles of soup, including chickpeas obviously. From now on, you can put the amount of ingredients you like...more of this...none of that...less of that...whatever you like. I like everything so...
4. Start with a sprinkling of capers, then green olives, then some tuna. Add harissa (as much as you want...be careful it is spicy). Drizzle with the olive oil and lime juice. Sprinkle with extra ground cumin, crack the egg on the dish, mix all up and enjoy!

Enjoy!!

R&A