An elaborate cold meze of mashed chickpeas wrapped around a fragrant filling of onions, currants, tahini, and warm spices. This stunning Lenten dish showcases Armenian ingenuity in creating richly flavored food without meat or dairy.
Ingredients
500g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
2 large potatoes, peeled
4 large onions, finely diced
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup currants
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
Fresh parsley
Instructions
1Boil soaked chickpeas until very soft, about 1.5 hours. Boil potatoes separately until tender. Drain both.
2Mash chickpeas and potatoes together until smooth, or process in a food processor. Season with salt. This is the outer shell.
3Saute onions slowly in olive oil for 25-30 minutes until deeply caramelized. Add currants, pine nuts, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, and sugar.
4Spread a portion of chickpea mixture on damp cheesecloth in a flat circle. Place a line of onion filling in the center.
5Roll into a log using the cheesecloth, pressing firmly. Twist ends to seal. Repeat with remaining mixture.
6Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. Slice into rounds, drizzle with tahini, and garnish with parsley.
Did You Know?
Topik was one of the great dishes of Armenian Constantinople, where it was prepared in elaborate versions for Lenten feasts in the historic Armenian quarter.