Karantika

Ingredients

Batter

• 250 gchickpea flour, sifted
• 1 litrewater
• 100 mlsunflower or olive oil
• 2eggs
• 2 tspsalt
• ½ tspwhite pepper

To finish

• 1 tbspoil, for the tin
• ground cumin, for dusting
• harissa, thinned with a little oil

To serve

• fresh baguette or crusty bread
• extra cumin and harissa on the table

Directions

1. Sift the chickpea flour into a large bowl, then whisk in the water in a steady stream, working out every lump; the batter must be as smooth as thin cream or the baked custard will be grainy.
2. Whisk in the salt, white pepper and the oil, then beat in the eggs until the mixture is uniform and slightly foamy on top.
3. Strain the batter through a sieve into a jug. This one extra minute is the difference between silky karantika and a lumpy one.
4. Oil a shallow metal roasting tin about 30 by 20 cm and set it in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for 5 minutes, until the tin is properly hot.
5. Stir the batter well, since chickpea flour settles fast, then pour it into the hot tin to a depth of about 3 cm.
6. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 45 to 50 minutes without opening the door for the first 30 minutes, until the top is deep brown and cracked and the centre wobbles like a set custard when the tin is shaken.
7. Test with a knife: it should come out clean and the inside should be pale gold, dense and creamy, quite unlike a cake.
8. Rest 10 minutes, then cut into thick squares, lift them out with a palette knife and dust heavily with ground cumin.
9. Serve hot, either on a plate with harissa smeared over or stuffed into a split piece of baguette, which is how it is sold on the streets of Oran.

Technique

• Karantika, from the Spanish calentita, meaning warm, arrived with Andalusi settlers and is the emblematic street food of Oran, sold hot from the tin all morning.
• Chickpea flour absorbs unevenly, so give the batter a good stir immediately before pouring, or the bottom of the tin will set stodgy.
• The dark, almost burnt top is correct and expected; pale karantika tastes flat and raw.

Substitutions

• Without eggs it still sets, since chickpea flour gels on its own, though the texture is firmer and less custardy; that version is the older one.
• Olive oil gives a fuller flavour, sunflower oil the cleaner street-stall taste.

Variations

• In Algiers the same batter is thinner and the result is called garantita, cut and served with more harissa.
• Gibraltar and Malaga know it as calentita and panissa, cooked in the same way.
• Some sellers scatter cumin and hot paprika over the batter before baking so it toasts into the crust.

History

Oran’s baked chickpea flan is credited to Spanish influence from nearby Alicante; the name is a corruption of calentita, meaning hot, as sold in Gibraltar.

Frequently asked questions

What is Karantika?

Karantika is a street food from Algeria: silky baked chickpea-flour custard dusted with cumin and harissa; Oran icon. Oran’s baked chickpea flan is credited to Spanish influence from nearby Alicante; the name is a corruption of calentita, meaning hot, as sold in Gibraltar.

How long does Karantika take to make?

Karantika takes 15 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Karantika?

Yes, within limits. Without eggs it still sets, since chickpea flour gels on its own, though the texture is firmer and less custardy; that version is the older one. Olive oil gives a fuller flavour, sunflower oil the cleaner street-stall taste.

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

Sift the chickpea flour into a large bowl, then whisk in the water in a steady stream, working out every lump; the batter must be as smooth as thin cream or the baked custard will be grainy.