حمص الشام

Wash the chickpeas thoroughly, then soak them in cold water for at least 6 hours—or soak them in hot water for 3 hours if you're in a hurry.

Rinse the soaked chickpeas and place them in a pot with fresh water.

Add 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar and stir.

Cover the pot and let the chickpeas cook until fully tender, which takes about 20–30 minutes. Check doneness by pressing a chickpea with a fork.

Prepare the sauce by placing the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic and 1 cup of water in a blender.

Mix well until you get a very smooth mixture.

Add the salt, cumin, and paprika to the chickpeas, then pour in the blended tomato mixture.

Add extra water as needed, along with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and stir everything well.

Cover the pot and let it simmer on medium heat for 10–15 minutes until the broth becomes clear and fragrant.

To make the spicy dressing (dakka): take half a cup of water, top it off with some broth from the pot, and add the juice of 2 large lemons.

Add 2 teaspoons of cumin and 1–2 teaspoons of chili powder to the dressing.

Stir the dressing well, and serve the chickpea soup hot in cups. Add the spicy dressing to taste.