Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread

Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread is my idea of heaven on a plate.

Chewy, satisfying bread topped with minty, garlicky yogurt, a runny poached egg plus nutty chickpeas in a cloak of spicy butter.

I’ve flavoured the yogurt with vibrant homemade Mint Pesto but, in the detailed recipe at the end of the post, I also show you how to make it with garlic and fresh mint.

Great for weekend brunch, or lunches, or enjoy as a main course with salad.

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TURKISH EGGS

Event at their simplest, Turkish Eggs (çilbir) are strangely addictive.

The basic idea is poached eggs on garlic-scented yogurt, topped with a drizzle of sizzling spiced butter.

Often served for breakfast with toast, from the basic version you can then improvise. Maybe top it with chopped cucumbers and tomatoes or add herbs such as dill, coriander or mint.

I shared my first version of Turkish Eggs back in June 2020 and still regularly make it.

But today I want to share a more substantial version which includes some little changes that I think make it even better.

GARLIC MINT YOGURT

In my original Turkish Eggs recipe, I flavoured the yogurt base with dried dill.

These days I often make it with mint instead or, as fresh dill is not as easy to come by as the mint growing in my garden, I’ll flavour the yogurt with dried dill and scatter fresh mint over the top of the finished dish.

For the Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread you see in this post, I flavoured the yogurt with homemade Mint Pesto.

This is a great little condiment if you have plenty of fresh mint. It’s really versatile and only takes ten minutes to make.

But don’t worry if you don’t have Mint Pesto. The detailed recipe at the end of the post includes instructions for using mint leaves and garlic too.

Gently warming the yogurt helps to bring out the flavour of the mint and garlic so I think it’s well worth doing. I used to heat the yogurt over simmering water. But I’ve since found that 15-30 seconds in a microwave is just as good as much less faff.

CHICKPEAS & SPICED BUTTER

Chickpeas are one of my favourite pulses. With a nutty flavour and buttery texture, I always keep a supply of them, both dried and tinned.

I’d been using tinned chickpeas in developing another recipe that features mint (coming soon) and had a handful or two left over.

With the idea of Turkish Eggs already in my mind for a quick Saturday lunch, the thought came to me. Why not use up those chickpeas?

I knew I didn’t want them cold, so decided to lightly warm them in the spiced butter that is essential to Turkish Eggs.

Dotted about the creamy, flavoursome yogurt these spicy little nuggets were a great addition.

To flavour the butter, I used mild and fruity Aleppo pepper plus my Za’atar Spice Blend.

My za’atar has sesame seeds, sumac, oregano, thyme and salt. Cumin in the butter is good too, and you could use dried chilli flakes instead of the Aleppo pepper is you want more heat.

FLATBREAD

You can use any flatbread for these Turkish eggs with chickpeas.

Currently in something of a flurry of recipe development, I had one left of an experimental batch of yeast-free, quick flatbreads and used that.

I’ve now perfected them and you’ll find my recipe for Quick Flatbreads here.

Already quite toasty, I just pinged the flatbread in the microwave. But you could put it under the grill if you want a drier texture.

Pitta bread would be good too. I suggest you split them open before topping with the yogurt and egg.

My recipe for Pitta Bread gives lovely light bread with a pocket that always opens up nicely.

POACHED EGGS

Who doesn’t love a beautifully poached, runny egg?

However, like many people, I used to shy away from poached eggs. Fed up with straggly bits of white all over the pan, fried or boiled seemed much easier.

But then I discovered a simple trick. Cracking your egg through a tea strainer gets rid of the water responsible for those stringy bits!

Also, the fresher the egg, the less watery it is. So get the best local free range eggs you can.

At this point I’m going to give a plug to Sam’s Hens who supply my eggs via Moorland Veg Box. Established by Sam when he was just nine years old (!) the eggs are fantastic with deep golden yolks. I can’t get enough of them.

So, find quality fresh eggs, follow the tips in the detailed recipe, and you should get perfect poached eggs every time.

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

Once you’ve got the elements prepped, you’re ready to put together Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread.

1. Put the flatbread on a plate
2. Spoon over a generous amount of warm garlic-mint yogurt
3. Add the poached egg
4. Spoon over the chickpeas and their spicy butter

To finish, I sprinkle over more of the spices, toasted black and white sesame seeds, and a few fresh mint leaves.

HEAVEN ON A PLATE

For me, chewy flatbread, herby, garlicky yogurt, soft runny egg and those nutty chickpeas in their cloak of spicy butter is sheer heaven.

And the fact that they came together almost by chance seems miraculous.

Great for brunch or lunch, you could even turn Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread into a main course by adding a fresh salad.

Update When I first posted this, someone said, “how are you supposed to eat it… Knife and fork seems odd for a flatbread, but if you try and pick it up there’s too much stuff in there.”  My answer was: Yes! With a knife and fork. Think of it as fancy egg and beans on toast! 😄

HAVE YOU MADE TURKISH EGGS WITH CHICKPEAS AND FLATBREAD?

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Turkish Eggs with Chickpeas and Flatbread

Flatbread topped with minty, garlicky yogurt, a runny egg plus nutty chickpeas in a cloak of spicy butter makes a fantastic brunch or lunch, or serve as a main meal with salad.

Course Breakfast, Main Course, Bread, Lunch, Light Meal

Cuisine Vegetarian, World, Turkish

Keyword eggs, pulses

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 1

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 1 flatbread toasted if liked
• 1 egg

For the yogurt (see Recipe Note #1 for alternative)

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 heaped tbsp yogurt preferably thick, Greek-style
• 1 level tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 pinch black pepper

For the chickpeas

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 20 g butter
• 50 g cooked chickpeas drained
• 1 level tsp za'atar spice mix OR ground cumin see Recipe Note #2
• 1 level tsp Aleppo pepper use ½ tsp if using hotter chilli flakes
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

To serve (choose any)

• za'atar spice mix
• ground cumin
• Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes
• toasted black and white sesame seeds
• small whole mint leaves

Instructions

1. Have ready a kettle approximately one third full of boiled water.

2. For the yogurt (see Recipe Note #1 if using Mint Pesto)

   Roughly chop the garlic then sprinkle with the salt.

   Using the flat side of a knife, squash together the garlic and salt until you have a paste.

   Put the paste into a microwave safe bowl and stir in the yogurt, mint, black pepper, until combined.

   Set aside.

3. For the chickpeas and spiced butter

   Put the butter, plus the olive oil if using, in a small pan and melt over moderate heat.

   Add the chickpeas and stir to warm through.

   Add the spices and seasonings and let everything sizzle for a minute (turn the heat up if necessary). Set aside.

4. For the poached egg (make while the chickpeas are warming)

   Pour boiling water into a small but deepish frying pan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

   Tip: cracking the egg through a fine sieve over a bowl before adding it to the pan will remove the watery part of the white, giving a neater poached egg.

   Slip the egg into the water and simmer for 1 - 1½ minutes.

   Take the pan off the heat and leave until the eggs are done to your liking (3-4 min).

5. When the egg is almost done, put the yogurt in the microwave and heat on high for 20 seconds.

6. Put the flatbread on a plate and spoon over the warm yogurt.

   Remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper if necessary. Place on top of the yogurt.

   Spoon the chickpeas and spiced butter over the yogurt and egg.

   Sprinkle over any of the suggested garnishes and serve straight away.

   Best eaten with a knife and fork: don't try and pick it up like you might a stuffed flatbread!

Recipe Notes

Note #1 If you have a batch of homemade Mint Pesto, stir 2 heaped tsp into the yogurt instead of the garlic, salt, mint and pepper.

Note #2 Recipe for homemade Za'atar Spice Blend

ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? TRY AUBERGINE WITH TOMATOES, CHICKPEAS & YOGURT