Lablabi is a very popular and simple Iraqi dish sold in the busiest street in Iraq, the dish literally has only chickpeas with a broth, and it is so delicious and heartwarming especially in the winter time. In a big food cart, they place a big pot where they keep the lablabi hot and fresh to serve. The person who pushes a food cart would be yelling lablabi lablabi come and get your lablabi, you would hear his voice and come toward it to buy some. It would cost $0.10 cent (that was many years ago when I was about 10 years old, I would think it is more expensive now), you would get a medium size bowl filled with Lablabi and the broth also you are free to add anything you like from lemon juice, hot sauce, and ground black pepper, you would never buy one only. It is usually sold in the busiest streets in Iraq, one of these places is called the Adhamiyah is an upscale area in the center of Baghdad, where most of its population are highly intellectual people from scholars, artists, and politicians. In the Adhamiyah there is a great and prominent landmark mosque called Abu Hanifa Mosque it is named after Adu Hanifa An-Numan is one of the well-known scholar and founder of Sunni Hanafi school of Islamic religious Jurisprudence. Adhamiyah it is one of the main shopping centers in Baghdad, it is filled with so many shopping stores and always filled with people it is a lot like New York City. My father sister lived in the Adhamiyah and when we visited I would go with my cousin to roam around to the street of the Adhamiyah, I loved it, with little money we would have, we would buy chips, lablabi and cotton candy and of course a drink a pomegranate juice or lemon juice that is the most popular drinks they would have. MayAllah brings peace and prosperity into the country of Iraq and to all the countries in the world.
Ingredient
1 Ib chickpea soaked overnight
4 to 5 cups of chicken broth
2 lemon juices squeezed
2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sumac
Salt as preferred
Water 8 cups or as needed
Instruction
After the chickpea is soaked for about 24 hours, drain the chickpea and discard the soaking water, then place the chickpeas in a pot with 8 cups of fresh room temperature water. On high heat bring to boil and remove the foam as they form. Add more water as needed until the chickpeas are fully cooked. Drain the chickpeas and discard the water. In a fresh clean pot add the chickpeas and chicken broth (the chicken broth should cover all the chickpeas add the chicken broth as needed), lemon juices, black pepper, and salt. On high heat bring to boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. In a small serving bowl add the chickpeas with the broth and add a touch of sumac on top.