HAMSHUKA

Hamshuka is a more substantial way of serving your classic hummus. Hamshuka is basically composed of a layer of hummus, topped with a hearty, ragù-like minced meat sauce.

INGREDIENTS (3-4 servings)

HUMMUS

• 1 can cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (400 g can, about 250 g chickpeas)
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more olive oil for drizzling on top
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• juice of 1/2 lemon (more or less depending on personal preference)
• a pinch of salt, about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon

MEAT TOPPING

• 1 pound minced meat (80-20 beef or lamb)
• 1 yellow onion
• 2-4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can whole tomatoes/tomato purée
  • can be substituted with 3/4 cup of stock/broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder or seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes or 1 fresh chili pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil for sautéing

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Start by roughly chopping the onion and the garlic.

Step 2

Drizzle some oil into a pot or saucepan on medium high heat.

Step 3

Once the oil is relatively hot, lower the heat to medium, add the chopped onion to the saucepan and sauté it for 5-7 minutes, stirring it from time to time with a wooden spoon.

Step 4

If the pan gets too hot at this point, lower the heat to low or medium low. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pan and let things sizzle a bit more, while the tomato paste is also caramelizing for a couple more minutes. Be careful and don’t let the garlic burn!

Step 5

Add a bit more oil to the saucepan and throw in all the spices, the cumin, paprika and chili flake (or freshly chopped chilis). Let them bloom for a couple of minutes.

Step 6

Next, add the meat to the pan and season it with salt and pepper and let it also brown for a few minutes.

Step 7

After a few minutes, throw in the can of whole tomatoes (crushing the whole tomatoes beforehand), tomato purée or stock/broth in the pan.

If you’re using stock, skip adding the sugar, otherwise, add the tablespoon of sugar to the pan as well, it will balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.

Step 8

Once everything comes to a boil, turn the heat to low/medium low, cover the saucepan or pot with a lid and let the sauce simmer away for the next 20-30 minutes, or until a significant amount of the liquid has evaporated. This will take longer if you’re only using stock/broth.

Step 9

While the sauce is simmering, it’s time to make the hummus.

Simply start by draining the can of chickpeas and rinsing them. Add all the rest of the hummus ingredients to a food processor or a blender and blend everything for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth. Add more oil or water if your processor has a hard time in the beginning.

Find more instructions on how to make the hummus by clicking here.

Step 10

Get your favorite platter and spread the freshly made hummus onto it, creating a well in the middle of it with a spoon. Pour the hot minced meat sauce in the middle of tha well and let everyone wonder at it!

Drizzle more olive oil on top, maybe some tahini, sprinkle more salt, za’atar, sumac, or chopped pistachios or sesame seeds onto it.

Serve with your favorite crackers (seed crackers), bread, crostini or freshly made steamy pita bread (find the recipe here).