In The Kitchen with Orlando Weeks

Ft. Egg troll... And we cook up Black Chickpea Soup

In this edition of WTYCT there is so much good stuff I almost want to scream and run away. To eat, I’m serving up a Black Chickpea Soup that is cheap to make but rich and satisfying. But perhaps more excitingly even than those tingly tongue thrills, I am introducing a NEW monthly segment, The Interview, in which I will be speaking to someone I admire about food-related matters of the heart. First up: it’s none other than Orlando Weeks!!!!!!! Read on, troubadours.

As far as I’m concerned, black chickpeas (or kala chana) are like regular chickpeas, but better. They have a denser, more chewy texture and non of that pappy flouriness that regular chickpeas sometimes bring. In this soup, which is inspired by chaat, they are divine. The same tangy, salty, delightful chaat sensations are achieved, but with the added bonus of a meal that steams your face and warms your belly at the same time.

You can buy black chickpeas dried or in a can, but buying them dried in bulk is much cheaper - though you’ll need to soak and boil them before you start the recipe. The coriander seed garnish is optional - I ate a cold soup at Rita’s in Soho in the summer which had a similar topping and I delighted in the crunchy, citrusy sensation. So I’ve tried to replicate it here. I think it works but, you be the judge.