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Chickpeas cooked with xinohondros (Cretan Trahana) and cumin may not be the ultimate traditional dish for the “Sarakosti” (Lent period before Easter) but it certainly deserves a place in our recipes!
This is the perfect meal to satisfy the whole family while providing the rich nutrients generously offered by chickpeas and xinohondros.
It was a regular Wednesday afternoon when the doorbell rang unexpectedly. Standing there was none other than Mr. “Three Ingredients”!
“You definitely have cumin,” he said instead of greeting me. “Come on, let’s get to the kitchen—I’ll make you a dish my mother used to cook for me.”
“I brought pre-cooked chickpeas from the plateau! Hand-picked near the Vidiani Monastery.”
Before I could fully process the whirlwind of Cretan energy disrupting my peaceful brunch, he had already fired up the stove.
“I also brought you some Stiakakis’ xinomizithra! You have to try it—it’s the perfect pairing for this dish,” he said, pouring a generous amount of cumin into the boiling pot.
“Grab the xinohondros and toss it in—quickly, we’ve got things to do,” he grinned.
We added the xinohondros, chopped up a tomato, and waited for the food to cook. Then, we opened the xinomizithra. With olives and some rusks on the side, we prepared a simple yet flavorful snack.
Naturally, the tsipouro I had stocked up on the day before made its way onto the table, along with two fennel pies and some crispy xerotigana from Kóstis at À la Grecque.
“Cheers!” And so, the conversation turned to upcoming adventures yet to be explored.
In just ten minutes, the pot was off the heat. With a sly smile, he said, “Now watch and learn,” as he pulled out a jar of fresh olive oil from the mountains of Sitia.
“Three spoonfuls—no more, no less! That’s all it takes to bring out the aroma of this early-harvest olive oil!”
As he stirred the hot soup, the scent of the unripe olives filled the kitchen. The tsipouro, olives, and xinomizithra suddenly took a backseat.
By the time the plates were ready, we had already sampled enough straight from the pot to appreciate the full depth of Cretan cuisine!
We also sliced some traditional sourdough bread, which carries the old aroma of our grandmothers’ kitchens, thick with the scent of fermented dough.
Between spoonfuls of soup, xinomizithra, and olives, he mumbled, “Write it down! Write the recipe!”
So here it is…
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
- 1 finely chopped tomato
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups xinohondros
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp cumin
- 4 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- 3–4 tbsp fresh early-harvest olive oil
Preparation
- Soak the chickpeas overnight. The next day, boil them for 30 minutes.
- Sauté the onions and carrots in half of the olive oil. Add the tomato paste, bay leaves, and chopped tomato.
- Add the chickpeas with two cups of water and let them simmer for about an hour, or until they soften.
- Once the chickpeas are tender and the broth has thickened, add the remaining olive oil, xinohondros, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let it cook for another 10 minutes until the xinohondros absorbs the liquid and plumps up.
- Finally, drizzle the magical fresh olive oil from the mountains of Sitia, cover the pot with a towel, and let it sit for 10 minutes until you can no longer resist the tempting aromas and start dipping bread straight into the pot!
The Perfect Ending
Satisfied and full, we started daydreaming and wandering across Greece on maps, pinning down small, rocky islands of the Aegean, hidden waterfalls, and mysterious lighthouses—all worthy stops on our #TasteLocalGreece journey!
To top it all off, we indulged in Kóstis’ crispy xerotigana, drizzling them with honey from the Toplou Monastery—a sweet gift from our friend Anna at Sitia’s “Arethousa” bakery.
As the afternoon drew to a close, we parted ways, again reminded that good food always brings excellent company together.
