Turkish Chickpea Wraps Recipe

These 100% authentic Turkish chickpea wraps are completely vegan and only take 15 minutes to make! Perfect for to-go lunches, picnics, or quick weeknight dinners.

This foolproof recipe comes straight from a Turkish restaurant that specializes in chickpea wraps (nohutlu dürüm).

Jump to:

• 🇹🇷 How are Turkish Chickpea Wraps (Nohutlu Dürüm) Different?
• 🌶 Chickpea Wraps Ingredients
• 📝 Instructions to Make Turkish Chickpea Wraps
• 🕰 Storing Chickpea Wraps
• ❓ FAQs
• 🌱 More Delicious Mediterranean Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🇹🇷 How are Turkish Chickpea Wraps (Nohutlu Dürüm) Different?

Southeastern Turkish cuisine is mostly known for its myriad forms of kebabs, but the humble chickpea wrap is also a hugely popular dish in the area!

Nohutlu (with chickpea) dürüm (wrap) is especially famous in Gaziantep, a city that borders Syria. Some even call Gaziantep the Turkish capital of culinary delight.

I've had my fair share of lackluster chickpea wraps... mostly at conferences for work or at restaurants as the only vegan option. This one tastes totally different. In a wonderful way.

So what sets the Turkish chickpea wrap apart?

It mostly boils down to the ingredients we're using and how we're combining them. Like massaging the onions with lemon juice and sautéeing the chickpeas with spices before serving!

This recipe is courtesy of the wonderful owners of Antepli Nihat Usta Restaurant in Izmir, Turkey.

He grew up and got culinary training in the birthplace of this dish, Gaziantep! They kindly gave us all their tips and tricks for the best wraps. I promise this simple wrap will surprise you in the best way!

🌶 Chickpea Wraps Ingredients

We'll use mostly everyday ingredients. The few special Turkish / Mediterranean spices or condiments you may not have can be substituted for and you'll still have a delicious dish.

• canned chickpeas
• olive oil
• cumin
• Aleppo or Urfa pepper (sub w/ regular chili flakes)
• raw onions
• lemon juice
• sumac (sub w/ more lemon juice)
• tomatoes
• shishito peppers (sub w/ green bell peppers)
• parsley
• pomegranate molasses (sub w/ lemon juice)
• wheat tortillas

Spicy Chickpeas

You could use any chickpea you have—home cooked or canned. We usually end up using canned chickpeas to whip up this recipe quickly. It also means I get leftover aquafaba to use in baking projects.

My preference is the Whole Foods brand canned chickpeas. They are usually much smaller than other brands', which means there will be more crisp chickpea skins in the wrap.

I use both Aleppo and Urfa pepper flakes to make these chickpeas spicy. Aleppo pepper is a bright red, earthy chile variety with a delicious fruity tang.

Urfa biber (also known as Isot pepper) is another type of pepper from the city of Şanlıurfa in Turkey. It's a deep burgundy color and tastes smoky, sweet, and tangy all at the same time.

You may substitute both of these chile flakes in the recipe with regular chile, but I'd highly recommend stocking them for later. These peppers are chef favorites for a reason!

Onion Salad with Lemon & Sumac

If you've ever had kebab at an authentically Turkish restaurant, you were probably served this onion "salad" on the side. It's a delicious condiment used to accompany richer dishes.

The key to a delicious Turkish onion salad is to slice the onions thinly and lengthwise. an onion's layers of plant cells run from the root to the stem.

So the fibers are torn apart when you cut across them along the onion's equator. This creates a sharp raw onion taste that most people dislike. Check out this post for more details on the science of chopping onions.

Once the onions are chopped, we'll massage them with lemon juice and sumac to elevate the taste.

If you'd like to learn more, Vidar has a great post detailing Turkish onion salad.

Fresh Veggies & Herbs

Juicy raw tomatoes are essential for this wrap. The more flavorful tomatoes you use, the more delicious your nohutlu durum will turn out! I love using campari or heirloom varieties.

In Turkey, the type of pepper used for chickpea wraps is called yeşil biber. The closest variety available in the U.S. is shishito—but you may use green bell peppers in a pinch.

Want to go all in for the spice? Use any hot green chili variety!

We'll also use a generous handful of chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley. You may also use curly parsley, but I prefer the flat-leaf kind for its more robust flavor.

Pomegranate Molasses

A drizzling of this condiment is always a part of an authentic nohutlu durum.

If you don't have any pomegranate molasses, substitute with lemon juice for a similar level of acid. Though I'd HIGHLY recommend making it a part of your pantry.

Pita, Lavash, or Tortilla

I simply use a large wheat tortilla to quickly prepare these wraps. You may also use lavash, or Indian breads such as roti and naan for the recipe.

Note that an authentic nohutlu durum from Gaziantep is made with tırnak pidesi. Directly translated as nail pita, it refers to the soft indented flatbread used for wrapping kebabs.

It isn't topped with sesame or nigella seeds like a large round Ramadan pita and is much thinner to accommodate wrapping.

Here's a recipe for tirnak pitas (Google translate from Turkish) if you'd like to try making your own for a more authentic experience.

To make this recipe gluten-free, simply use a GF flatbread, corn tortilla, or lettuce leaves.

📝 Instructions to Make Turkish Chickpea Wraps

Sauté the Chickpeas

Drain the canned chickpeas and save the aquafaba for baking projects if you wish. In a medium-sized pan, sauté the canned chickpeas with olive oil on medium-high heat.

Mix in cumin, Aleppo pepper, Urfa pepper, and salt. Continue sautéing for 7-10 minutes, until the chickpea skins become crisp. Set aside.

Make the Onion Salad

Meanwhile, massage sliced onions with sumac & lemon juice and set aside.

Heat the Pita or Tortilla

When the chickpeas are sautéed, heat the inside of the tortilla or pita bread in the same pan over low heat until warm.

Assemble the Wrap

Place the pita or tortilla onto a flat surface and layer the sautéed chickpeas in a horizontal line towards the bottom ⅓ of the bread, mash some of them with a fork if you prefer various textures. Leave a few inches free on each side.

Continue by layering the lemon-sumac onion salad, shishito peppers, tomatoes, and parsley.

Sprinkle with flaky salt, and drizzle with olive oil & pomegranate molasses. Fold the sides in, bring up the bottom flap and roll it up tightly. Cut the wrap into halves with a sharp knife to serve, or wrap it in aluminum foil to enjoy it later.

If you're feeling like a bowl instead, simply swap the wrap for a grain like brown rice or quinoa!

My preference is coarse bulgur for the most authentic Southeast Turkish plate.

🕰 Storing Chickpea Wraps

The assembled wraps may be refrigerated in cling wrap or aluminum foil for up to three days.

If you have the time, I'd recommend refrigerating the prepared ingredients of the wrap separately. This way you can microwave the warm (spicy chickpeas, tortilla) to mix with the cold (onion salad, veggies) right before serving.

❓ FAQs

🌱 More Delicious Mediterranean Recipes

Feeling like a bean salad instead? Try Turkish piyaz that needs no pots and pans at all.

How about a healthy crowd-pleaser with red lentils and bulgur? Look no further than Turkish lentil kofta!

Craving more greens? Go for a Mediterranean kale salad made with warm dates.

Need a new sandwich to take to school or work? Try our readers' favorite Mediterranean eggplant sandwich!

Did you make this Turkish chickpea wrap recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a star🌟 rating below. This helps me run Aegean Delight and I always appreciate it 🙂

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