Saland-e Nakhod (Chickpea Yogurt Stew)

Saland-e Nakhod (Chickpea Yogurt Stew)

In 2007, the human rights investigator Michael Shaikh first tasted this dreamy, golden chickpea stew, saland-e nakhod (also called qurma-e nakhod), at his friend Tamim Samee’s dinner table in Kabul, Afghanistan. “It’s a dish some Afghan families have forgotten,” Mr. Samee told Mr. Shaikh. This recipe comes to us from Mr. Shaikh’s book, “The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found” (Crown, 2025). Many cultures have a richly spiced chickpea stew thickened with tangy yogurt. This one, with its soft, comforting flavors, belongs in that glorious pantheon. Canned chickpeas taste lovely here, but if you have some extra time, starting from dried results in a deeper, more layered savoriness that puts the starchy legume front and center. 

Yield: 4 servings

2 or 3 garlic cloves

1 cup/8 ounces plain full-fat Greek yogurt

Salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 fresh green chile (such as Thai or serrano), finely chopped, plus a few whole chiles for serving

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small tomato, very finely chopped

3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (see Tip)

Cilantro, for serving

Warmed flatbread or steamed basmati rice, for serving

Finely grate 2 garlic cloves directly into the yogurt in a bowl and season with salt. Stir to combine, then taste, adding the final clove if you want it more garlicky and more salt if needed. (Some will be stirred into the final stew at the end, mellowing the garlic slightly. The rest will be served alongside as a condiment.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and chile and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and golden at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add more oil if the pan looks dry. Lower the heat slightly, then stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric and black pepper and cook, stirring, until sizzling and fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the tomato and 1 teaspoon salt.

Add the chickpeas and 2 cups of water, or enough just to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. It will thicken further once you add the yogurt later.

Remove from the heat, taste and add more salt if needed. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved garlic yogurt. Taste and add more yogurt if desired. Serve immediately, topped with the cilantro and alongside the remaining garlic yogurt, flatbread or rice and whole chiles to nibble on for extra heat.

Tip: You can also start from dried chickpeas (often sold as garbanzo beans). The night before, rinse 2 cups dried chickpeas in a large fine-mesh sieve under cold running water. Transfer to a large bowl, add fresh water to cover generously and soak overnight. They will expand considerably. When ready to cook, drain and add in step 3, simmering the stew until the chickpeas are tender, at least 1 hour, adding more water as needed to keep them covered.

Using dried chickpeas: even with overnight-soaked chickpeas, you'll want to use a pressure cooker/instant pot, on the "beans" setting (35 mins pressure + natural release). Cooking beans/chickpeas without pressure will take thrice as long.

In South Asia, where legumes are the major daily source of dietary protein, a pressure cooker has been an essential kitchen device for at least 80 years. Urban life is too busy to spend 90+ minutes on a single recipe.