A Warming Stew For Cold Winter Nights

When the winds of winter howl, it’s time to welcome the warming flavours of South Asia and the Middle East. This recipe came about because I found a bag of last summer’s kale in the freezer, had picked up a couple of cans of chickpeas to satisfy a craving for hummus, and my roommate, shocked at the price of yogurt, started making his own.
A kind friend and neighbour has lent him a yogurt maker, indefinitely. Following the advice of that same friend, he bought a four-litre jug of organic milk at the Superstore in Whitehorse (about $4 cheaper than 1.75 kg of organic, 3.5% yogurt).
The first batch was a big success; he’s making it every week now, and we have a LOT of yogurt in the fridge. (We also have a lot of whey, from straining the yogurt to make it thicker. But more on that in a later column.)
It seemed the perfect time to make labneh, the Lebanese yogurt cheese, possibly the easiest cheese to produce in the home kitchen. Labneh led to dukkah (the nut, seed and spice mix found through the Middle East), a fabulous topping for everything from steamed vegetables to tagines, to morning porridge.
Garam masala adds heat and spice to the stew, the chickpeas add a buttery crunch, and kale does its usual slightly sour, green magic. All in all, a hearty, soulful dish that will please the vegetarians in the family and satisfy the meat eaters. (To please the vegans, simply replace the labneh with a thick vegan yogurt).

Yield: 8 Servings

Kale and Chickpea Stew With Labneh and Hazelnut Dukkah

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Ingredients

• Kale and Chickpea Stew
• With Labneh and Hazelnut Dukkah
• 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 19-oz can chickpeas, including liquid
• 1 bunch of kale—about four cups, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped to the size of raisins
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• Chopped fresh basil, cilantro or parsley
• Labneh (Lebanese Yogurt Cheese)
• 3 cups plain, full-fat yogurt
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until simmering. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add garam masala and stir until onions are evenly coated. Add carrot, garlic, lemon and salt. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Pour chickpeas and liquid into the pan and bring to a simmer.
4. Add kale, stirring it in thoroughly, cover and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until kale is cooked.
5. Stir in apricots and vinegar, cover and cook for another 5 minutes to allow flavours to blend.
6. To serve, spoon stew onto a platter, add dollops of labneh and scatter a liberal amount of dukkah over top, followed by fresh herbs. At the table, pass bowls of extra labneh and dukkah. Some pita or flatbread would be great, too.

Labneh (Lebanese Yogurt Cheese)

1. Mix the salt and yogurt together. Line a colander or a strainer with a piece of cheesecloth large enough to overhang the sides and set it over a bowl.
2. Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth and fold the ends over top. Leave in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours. The whey* will drain out of the yogurt, leaving a thick, creamy and slightly sharp cheese.
3. Transfer the cheese to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Will keep for up to 2 weeks.