I love the flavour of lamb steaks, perfect for cooking on the barbecue this summer. These harissa glazed chickpeas make a delicious base for the lamb. Lamb steaks cook quickly and are fantastic served with Greek-style lemon potatoes and a big bowl of creamy garlic spiked tzatziki. For a slightly different flavour in this dish use gochujang instead of harissa and add plenty of fresh coriander.
These harissa glazed chickpeas are perfect for using in wraps, sandwiches, salads or Buddha bowls. You can also use them as punchy full-flavoured soup toppings that bring some plant based protein and fibre.
Harrisa is a hot, flavoursome paste made from chillies, spices and herbs. It’s most commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern recipes. It’s strong so a little goes a long way. At its simplest you can add a little harissa to a bowl of olive oil and swirl for a simple spicy dipping sauce. It’s ideal for crusty bread or brushing over vegetables before you barbecue them.
If you’re growing your own chillies or peppers this summer then you can make your own harissa to enjoy all winter long. Roast red peppers and add to a food processor with chillies till it forms a chunky thick puree, but don’t blend it too fine as you don’t want it smooth. Heat olive oil, tomato puree and garlic in a pan then add to the red hot puree. Simmer for 15 minutes with cumin, coriander and salt along with a little fresh lemon juice. Store in clean jars with a layer of olive oil over the top and tightly seal with a lid. You can also freeze harissa to store it for even longer. If you don’t want it too spicy, leave out the chilli seeds or just add less.
Making your own harissa is a great way to use home-grown produce like chillies, peppers, garlic and herbs. You can even add dried rose petals for a beautifully floral and fragrant hot sauce.
Recipe: Lamb steaks with harissa-glazed chickpeas
Lilly’s Kitchen Tips:
- Use a slow cooker or pressure cooker to cook beans and chickpeas from dry instead of buying tinned. The quality is often better, it’s more than half the price and it cuts down on countless tins and cartons.
- Use leftover harissa by swirling a teaspoon through mayonnaise or yoghurt for an easy dipping sauce. Add a teaspoon to lamb or beef meatballs along with fresh lemon zest and plenty of herbs. Sauté thin slices of courgette in olive oil till soft then add a little harissa for kick.
- Instead of chickpeas use butter beans or even a fresh vegetable like green beans, sugar snap peas or courgettes.
