If you’re craving bold, soulful cooking rooted in Palestinian food traditions, Boustany by Sami Tamimi needs to be on your radar. This beautiful new cookbook celebrates the vibrant flavors of Palestinian home cooking, with recipes that highlight vegetables, herbs, and spices in unforgettable ways. One standout is a hearty eggplant and chickpea stew simmered in spiced tomato sauce and topped with a zesty green chile-lemon sauce—it’s comforting, deeply flavorful, and even better the next day. I’m sharing the full recipe here with a more detailed write-up and a Substack Live with Sami himself, so you can get a taste of the rich culinary heritage Boustany brings to life. Don’t miss it.
Get your copy of Sami Tamimi’s Boustany (Amazon/Bookshop).
Eggplant & chickpeas with green lemon sauce/ Bitinjan ma’ Hummus
There are many kinds of eggplant and tomato dishes in the Middle East, each with its own distinct character, and this eggplant and chickpea stew is no exception. It’s a hearty dish that combines the meatiness of the eggplant, the nutty-creamy texture of the chickpeas and the umami of the tomato sauce, all complemented by the zesty
green chile sauce.
You can serve this as it is, with simple rice, or as a base for a pasta bake or shakshuka. The dish tastes even better the next day, making it convenient to prepare in advance. Just keep the green chile sauce separate and reheat the stew before serving. – Excerpted with permission from Sami Tamimi’s Boustany (Ten Speed Press, 2025).
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1 1⁄4-inch / 3cm chunks (1 lb 5 oz / 600g)
6 tbsp / 90 ml olive oil
salt and black pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped, (1 2⁄3 cups / 240g)
2 (5½ oz / 160g)celery stalks, cut into ½-inch / 1 cm dice
1 red pepper, cut into ½-inch / 1cm dice (6 oz / 180g)
8 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp Aleppo chile flakes (or regular chile flakes)
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 x 14-oz / 400 g cans of diced tomatoes
2 x 14-oz / 400 g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1⁄4 cups / 300ml water
To serve
1 recipe green lemon sauce(See recipe below; replace half the parsley with cilantro)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Toss the eggplant chunks in 2 tablespoons of the oil, and season with a heaping 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Roast for 22–24 minutes, until soft and golden brown.
- While the eggplant is roasting, make the sauce. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, lidded sauté pan. Add the onion and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the celery and red pepper and continue to cook for another 6 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cooked eggplant and the water and season with 1½ teaspoons of salt and a grind of black pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the eggplant chunks have softened and the flavors have come together.
- Allow to cool slightly, then serve in bowls with the green lemon sauce.
Green lemon sauce/Tatbeelet Laymonn Khadra
Every respected hummus shop in Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine has its own version of this fiery, tangy, slightly garlicky sauce,
which gets spooned or drizzled over all hummus and other dishes to elevate every bite. This sauce serves as a delicious counterbalance to the rich, creamy texture of hummus, particularly during breakfast. Its infusion of flavors adds depth and a refreshing brightness to the dish,
invigorating the palate with each spoonful.
Use the sauce as a condiment, generously spooning it over fried eggs, hearty soups, and rich stews. Each dollop brings forth an additional layer of complexity, enhancing the overall experience. I’ve used it in some of my recipes — for example, my eggplant & chickpeas with green lemon sauce (recipe above) and loaded sweet potatoes with black-eyed peas (recipe in Boustany). – Excerpted with permission from Sami Tamimi’s Boustany (Ten Speed Press, 2025).
- Yield: Makes a Small Jar
Ingredients
½ cup / 10g fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 green chile, finely chopped
5 tbsp / 75ml lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
salt
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the parsley, chile, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and a heaping 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt and serve at once. Keep the parsley separate if making ahead of time and add just before serving. This sauce keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.