Qorma-e-nakhod (Stewed Chickpeas With Spinach and Goat Cheese)

Sometimes, World Central Kitchen finds that we can provide the most help thousands of miles away from the disaster we’re responding to. This was the case in 2021 when the political situation in Afghanistan abruptly changed, forcing thousands of Afghans to flee their homes and homeland. Our teams met them with nourishing plates of food at airports in Qatar, Madrid, and Washington, DC. Many hadn’t had a warm meal in days. In Madrid, we worked with Nadia Ghulam, a writer and cook who fled Afghanistan years earlier after having studied and worked for a decade disguised as a boy. This was one of the recipes she shared with our Relief Team—a warm, comforting vegetarian stew of chickpeas and spices, topped with a creamy cumin-flecked goat cheese sauce. “I’m so glad I can do something for the people of my country,” Nadia said about cooking for the new arrivals. “Even if they’ve come a far way, they aren’t feeling alone.”

This recipe was excerpted from 'The World Central Kitchen Cookbook' by José Andrés, one of our favorite cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.