Karantika
● AlgeriaKarantika originated in Oran, Algeria's second city, from a Spanish colonial influence — it bears resemblance to panissa, the chickpea flan of Liguria and Nice. Algerian cooks adapted it with North African spices and created a street food that became inseparable from Oran's food identity. The Oranais eat it for breakfast, for lunch, for late snacks.
Karantika is a source of fierce local pride in Oran. It is the food that Oranais miss most when they move away — cheap, filling, protein-rich, and impossible to find outside Algeria. The combination of the custardy chickpea batter with spicy harissa and cumin is humble and extraordinary simultaneously. Vendors carry it in pans through the medina.
Whisk chickpea flour with water, olive oil, egg, salt, and cumin into a thin batter. Pour into an oiled baking dish and bake at 200°C for 30–35 minutes until set and golden. Cut into squares. Serve in a bread roll (khobz) with a smear of harissa, a sprinkle of cumin, and a drizzle of olive oil. Eat hot.