A unique Gazan stew featuring a rich, tangy sauce of ground sumac and tahini simmered with tender chard, chickpeas, and dill. Its deep purple-red color and sour complexity make it unlike anything else in Levantine cuisine.
Ingredients
1 cup ground sumac
1/2 cup tahini
1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili flakes
3 cups water
Salt to taste
Lemon juice
Instructions
1Soak ground sumac in 3 cups of hot water for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract all the tangy red liquid.
2Sauté diced onion in olive oil until softened. Add garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.
3Add chopped chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, cumin, and chili flakes.
4Pour the strained sumac liquid into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
5Whisk tahini with a little water until smooth, then stir into the stew. Add chopped dill and simmer 10 more minutes.
6Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Serve hot over rice or with plenty of bread for dipping.
Did You Know?
Sumaghiyyeh is so strongly identified with Gaza that Palestinians from other regions often cannot identify it — it is a true Gazan signature.