This is a dish that I brought to a casual dinner the other night. ?It’s a hearty variation on plain ol’ hummus, of Jordanian and Palestinian origin– one that I’ve been planning to “veganize” for a while now. ?I’ve been researching this dish for some time. ?I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone’s mother in that part of the globe has a different recipe for it! ?Some versions use ground meat (from lots to just a little), and some use cubes. Some decorate the dish with whole chickpeas and some don’t. ?Yogurt or labeneh (yogurt cheese) may oor may not be dolloped on top. ?Some versions are hot-spicy and some not. ?(The other spices vary as well.) Some versions are served with crispy pita on the side, and others call for pieces of the pita to be the first layer of the dish, covered just before serving by the hummus and other ingredients. I even read one recipe that called for soaked pita bread pieces to be stirred into the hummus.
So, you see, you have a great deal of latitude with this delicious dish! ?Here’s my version, and, I must say, it was good!
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BRYANNA’S VERSION OF VEGAN HUMMUS BIL “LAHME” (Hummus with Spicy “Meat” and Nut Mixture)
Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer (serve at room temperature, if possible)
Hummus (a recipe using 3 cups of chickpeas—I used 1 1/2 times our favourite version, see recipe here)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
12 ounces vegan hamburger crumbles (Tofurky now has an organic product)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (or pine nuts)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) of red chile flakes
salt and freshly-ground pepper
Garnish:
about 3/4 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (rinsed and well-drained)
chopped fresh parsley, chives or green onions (green ends only)
Optional:
smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
about 1 cup tangy soy yogurt (such as WholeSoy) OR homemade tofu yogurt (my favourite recipe is here) OR Vegan Labaneh (Vegan “Yogurt Cheese”) OR Cashew “Sour Cream” or “Yogurt”
Serve with: pita bread (we like whole wheat)— preferably crisped in the oven a bit.
Spread the freshly-made hummus on a serving platter and set aside.
Heat the oil and butter in a 10 to 12-nch non-stick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet.? Add the onion and sauté over medium-high heat until it softens.? Add the garlic and sauté for a minute.? Add the hamburger crumbles, almonds and spices. Sauté for several minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
Distribute the “hamburger” mixture over the hummus, but leaving an edge of hummus all around the platter.? If you choose to use the “yogurt”, drop spoonfuls of it over the “hamburger” mixture.? Sprinkle the cooked chickpeas over the plate.? Garnish with the chopped fresh parsley, chives or green onions, and the optional smoked paprika, if you’re using it.
Serve with the crisped pita bread as an appetizer or part of a buffet.
Nutrition (per serving): 294.5 calories; 34{d40e1b40433db95421a8b5aadd100e7f694441d0272a9a10d9a0152d7f29a731} calories from fat; 11.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 526.9mg sodium; 360.1mg potassium; 31.8g carbohydrates; 9.8g fiber; 2.8g sugar; 22.0g net carbs; 18.9g protein.
Enjoy!
The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer…For the 21st
century we need to learn to cook for ourselves again,
and learning to cook vegan can be a bit intimidating.
I’d like to help with that, from my kitchen to yours.
Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.