Spice-Crusted Steak with Mashed Chickpeas

A warm salad of roughly crushed chickpeas and scallions provides the perfect foil for our cumin- and fennel-crusted flat iron steak. We were inspired by a similar dish from Moro, the London restaurant of chefs Sam and Sam Clark. They serve their steak over hummus, but our simpler approach keeps the dish weeknight ready. When grinding the cumin seed and fennel seeds, be sure to keep them coarse—don't pulverize them to a powder. We liked the flavor and texture of flat iron steak, but if you can't find this cut, hanger steak or sirloin steak tips (also called flap meat) are good substitutions. Add a dollop of plain yogurt and warmed pita bread to round out the meal.