Dango

Ingredients

Chickpeas

• 500 gdried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 2 tspsalt

To dress

• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspchilli powder
• ½ tspturmeric
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbspoil
• 1green chilli, minced
• coriander

To serve

• paper cones
• lime wedges
• extra cumin and chilli

Directions

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight with the bicarbonate of soda, which softens the skins and shortens the cooking considerably.
2. Drain, cover with fresh water, and boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender but still holding their shape completely.
3. Stop while they still hold. Dango is eaten from a cone with the fingers or a small spoon, and chickpeas cooked to collapse turn into a paste at the bottom of the paper.
4. Drain them, keeping a few spoonfuls of the cooking water.
5. While they are still hot, toss the chickpeas with the salt, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric.
6. Season them hot. Warm chickpeas take up spice, whereas cold ones just wear it on the outside.
7. Add the oil, lime juice, minced green chilli and a splash of the reserved cooking water, and toss again.
8. Scatter over plenty of chopped coriander.
9. Serve hot in paper cones with a lime wedge and a small dish of extra cumin and chilli for anyone who wants more.
10. It is a school-gate and beach snack across Oman and the Gulf, ladled straight from a metal pot into the cone.

Technique

• The splash of cooking water is what makes the spices cling rather than sitting dry on the surface.
• It is sold hot and eaten hot, standing up, and it is not a salad.
• Bicarbonate in the soak is standard and it genuinely halves the cooking time.

Substitutions

• Tinned chickpeas, warmed through, which cuts the recipe to ten minutes.
• Dried lime powder in place of fresh lime, which is very Gulf.

Variations

• With a spoonful of tamarind for sourness.
• Much hotter, with fresh chilli pounded in.
• Served with a fried egg on top as a fuller breakfast.

History

School-gate and beach snack across Oman and the Gulf, ladled hot from a metal pot.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dango?

Dango is a snack from Oman: boiled chickpeas tossed with cumin, chilli and lime, sold in paper cones. School-gate and beach snack across Oman and the Gulf, ladled hot from a metal pot.

How long does Dango take to make?

Dango takes 10 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Dango?

Yes, within limits. Tinned chickpeas, warmed through, which cuts the recipe to ten minutes. Dried lime powder in place of fresh lime, which is very Gulf.

What is the most important thing to get right in Dango?

The splash of cooking water is what makes the spices cling rather than sitting dry on the surface.