If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I have a deep love for Middle Eastern Food. EVEN BETTER, now my family loves it too.
Every once in a while, I love serving dinner in a large platter for us to eat out of. That's right, all 5 of us, eat out of the same large plate. It's a common practice in the Middle East; It's known to signify hospitality, community, and closeness.
Nevertheless, I absolutely LOVE sharing this practice with my family, because,
It's different
It makes mealtime fun and
It's Memorable
So, let's get cooking!
For my platter, I started with a layer of Homemade Hummus, a combination of Beef and Chicken Kababs, topped with a fresh cucumber salad, sumac and served with Pita Bread!
You can make this your own by addition a variation of toppings to it such as:
Sliced Red Onion
Olives
Jalapeno
Couscous
Beef Kabab:
1 lb ground Beef
1/2 cup chopped onion,
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup ginger garlic paste
1tsp Garam Masala
1tsp Corriander Powder
2-4 finely chopped thai chillies
1tsp Salt and Pepper
Method: Mix all the above ingredients together. Once it's combined, roll 4-6 inch logs on to a skewer.
Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes
Turn the Broil function on and let the kababs slightly brown for about a minute
Remove immediately
Pro-Tip: Grilling is truly the best way to enjoy these kababs!
When grilling, make sure you turn the kababs every 1-2 minutes until it's cooked thru (about 8-10) minutes
You can also fry them on the stove.
When frying, spray a thin layer of cooking spray onto a flat pan. Heat it up on medium flame before adding the kababs.
Cook thoroughly, turning every 2 minutes. These should cook in about 8-10 minutes
Chicken Kabab:
1 lb ground chicken
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 finely chopped Thai Chilies
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Salt
Method:
Using a Mortar and Pestle, powder the Cumin and Coriander Seeds.
Mix this powder and all the above ingredients together.
Pro Tip: Use a spoon to mix or dip your hands in water before mixing. It helps the ground chicken not stick to your hands.
Once it's combined, roll 4-6 inch logs on to a skewer. For this step also, make sure your hands are dipped in water and wet before working with the chicken to prevent it from sticking to your hands
Bake at 400 for about 10-12 minutes
Turn the Broil function on and let the kababs slightly brown for about a minute
Remove immediately
Pro-Tip: Grill these for the true authentic flavor
When grilling, make sure you turn the kababs every 1-2 minutes until it's cooked thru (about 8-10) minutes
You can also fry them on the stove.
When frying, spray a thin layer of cooking spray onto a flat pan. Heat it up on medium flame before adding the kababs.
Cook thoroughly, turning every 2 minutes. These should cook in about 8-10 minutes
Hummus:
2 Cups of Boiled/Cooked/Canned Chickpeas
1/4 Cup Tahini
1/2 tbsp Salt
2 cloves of Garlic
1/4 Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Water + more for desired consistency
Using a Blender, blend the above ingredients together until it forms a fine paste. Add water for desired consistency.
Garnish Ingredients:
1-2 Limes to squeeze over the finished dish
1/2 tsp Sumac
Olive Oil to Drizzle over the hummus
1/4 cup of a cucumber and tomato medley (this makes a delicious salad with a tiny squeeze of lime juice)
To Serve:
Layer a large portion of hummus on the bottom of the platter and drizzle some olive oil on it.
Next, stack up the cooked Kababs
Last, top it with Pita and to make it extra fancy, I added a tomato and cucumber salad with a sprinkle of Sumac and freshly squeezed lime juice
All will be well if you don't have Sumac. It's just as good without it.
I hope you try this recipe out and enjoy it!
xoxo
Joanna
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