Hummus with seasoned minced meat

The hummus with seasoned minced meat is one of the many delicious recipes from the book TLV. Flipping through the book, you feel as though you are already in Tel Aviv. Beautiful photos, background stories, and personal anecdotes make you want to visit Tel Aviv even more. I love Middle Eastern cuisine with its delicious flavors such as Za'atar, Sumac, Pomegranate, and Harissa. These flavorings are described in detail in the book.

The chapter "With Your Hands" appeals to me the most. Street food that you have to eat with your hands. Delicious! Think of lamb shawarma in laffa (a type of wrap), pita chicken shawarma, falafel, pita bruschettas, or borekas with spinach. Really, all the dishes in this chapter appeal to me.

In the chapter *At the Table*, you will find the more elaborate dishes. These are truly meant to be eaten at the table and enjoyed at leisure. How about roasted eggplant with apple, hazelnuts, and silat? Or duck tagine? The famous Matzah balls are also included in the book. Each chapter features a wide variety of dishes, from small bites to delicacies, and from main courses to tasty drinks.

The third chapter is titled Salatiem. It also contains this recipe for hummus with seasoned minced meat. Salatiem is the Israeli version of mezze or tapas. I love filling the table with all kinds of tasty bites. In addition to the hummus with seasoned minced meat, you will also find the recipe for hummus with pulled chicken. There are various labneh recipes included, for example, a labneh with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, sumac, and silan.

The book concludes with a number of basic recipes, which is handy. Here you can see how to make your own pita chips, create spice mixes, and make laffa. In short, TLV is a beautiful book that briefly transports you to this lovely city. You immediately get hungry just by flipping through the pages. Not only hungry for all the delicious dishes, but also a dose of wanderlust.

And now follows the recipe for the hummus with seasoned minced meat. Enjoy!

• Ingredients for 4 – 6 people
• 3 tbsp pistachios
• 3 spring onions Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp TLV spice mix or ras el hanout/baharat
• 1 tsp harissa
• 400 g ground beef
• 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 4 sprigs mint, leaves roughly chopped 4-6 pitas
• For the hummus (6 people)
• 250 g dried chickpeas
• 2 sachets baking soda (5 g each)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 275 g raw tahini Juice of
• 1 to
• 1.5 lemons
• 1 tsp salt

Here's how to make it. Start by making the hummus.

Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours in plenty of water with a packet of baking soda dissolved in it. Drain and bring the peas to a boil with fresh water and the second packet of baking soda. Ensure they are covered by about 3 cm. Put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down low. The peas are ready when they start to fall apart. Allow about 45 minutes, but don't be surprised if it takes twice as long.

Reserve the cooking liquid when draining the chickpeas. Once the chickpeas have cooled slightly, purée them in a food processor and add the garlic, raw tahini, and the juice of 1 lemon. Run the food processor for at least 10 minutes. Add small splashes of cooking liquid to thin the hummus, but keep it just slightly thicker than the smooth purée it should eventually become.

Season with about a teaspoon of salt and perhaps some lemon juice. Once the hummus is perfectly seasoned, thin it with some of the cooking liquid until it reaches the desired consistency. You can store the hummus covered in the refrigerator.

Toast the pistachios in a frying pan or in the oven at 180 degrees until they are lightly browned. Let cool and chop coarsely.

Cut the spring onions, both the white and the green parts, into rings that are not too thin.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and briefly sauté the garlic with the spices and harissa. Allow the flavors to develop. Then add the minced meat. Brown until half-cooked. Now add the spring onions, and when the meat is almost done, add the pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste with salt.

Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of hummus onto each plate and use the back of a spoon to make a hollow in the center. Fill this with the minced meat mixture. Garnish with the mint leaves and drizzle with a splash of olive oil. Serve with warm pitas.

Title TLV Author Jigal Krant Publisher Nijgh & Van Ditmar Price and availability €29.99 at Bol.com This link opens in a new tab or your local bookstore.

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