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Sumagiyya (Gazan Chard, Chickpea and Sumac Stew)

Sumagiyya (Gazan Chard, Chickpea and Sumac Stew) reads richness 5.0, allium 4.5 and nutty 4.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Palestinian main, about 3 hr 32 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.0 · Allium 4.5 · Nutty 4.3 · Salinity 3.6 · Umami 3.3 · Heat 2.8 · Earthy 2.7 · Sourness 2.5 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Sweetness 1.7 · Bitterness 1.6 · Citrus 0.9 · Fruity 0.9

What's in it (14)

Time & effort: about 3 hr 32 min (2 hr 30 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 42.5 kcal, 2.1 g protein, 1.3 g fat, 6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

  1. Gaza cooks with more chilli and more dill seed than the rest of Palestine, and sumagiyya is the clearest example: it is the dish of Eid al-Fitr there, made in quantity and eaten at room temperature.
  2. Soak the ground sumac in 400 ml warm water for 1 hour, then strain through muslin, squeezing hard. Keep the red-brown liquid and throw the grounds away. Never boil sumac powder directly into a stew — it goes bitter and gritty.
  3. Simmer the meat and the drained chickpeas in the 1.2 litres of water for 90 minutes, skimming at the start, until both are tender. Keep the broth.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat, cook the onion 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, the crushed dill seed, the chillies and the cumin and cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
  5. Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes to a sandy paste, then whisk in the sumac water a little at a time so no lumps form. It will thicken quickly.
  6. Add the chard stalks and cook 5 minutes, then the leaves, and cook 5 minutes more until they have wilted down.
  7. Tip in the meat, chickpeas and about 500 ml of their broth, add the salt, and simmer 20 minutes so everything comes together into a thick, sharp, dark stew.
  8. Take off the heat and stir in the tahini — off the heat, so it thickens without splitting. Let it stand 20 minutes; sumagiyya is served warm or at room temperature, with bread, and it is better the next day.
  9. Substitutions: lamb shank can stand in for the boneless beef shank.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.