Etli Nohut (Beef and Chickpea Stew)

Etli nohut — chickpeas with meat — is a pillar of Turkish home cooking, the kind of stew that simmers on the back burner while the house fills with its smell. Soaked chickpeas cook slowly with chunks of beef, tomato paste, and butter until the broth turns golden and the chickpeas are creamy. Every family makes it a little differently, but everyone agrees it belongs with pilaf. The name translates simply as meaty chickpeas, and it delivers exactly that and nothing fancy.

Slow-simmered chickpeas, golden with butter

The chickpeas soften until they are creamy inside but still hold their shape, and the beef turns fork-tender in the same pot. A pinch of red pepper flakes and a slick of butter give the broth warmth and gloss. Start the chickpeas the night before by soaking them, and skim the pot now and then for the cleanest, prettiest broth. It is even better reheated the next day, served in deep bowls with a squeeze of lemon for brightness.

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