Shawarma Spiced Ground Beef Hummus

If you can only make one thing this New Year's Eve, make sure this is it! Everybody will be asking you for the recipe, and it's honestly very easy. The hummus is the creamiest hummus you'll ever make, thanks to the method of boiling the chickpeas first. Overcooking them makes sure they blend up into a smooth velvety dip, and the shawarma spiced ground beef is to die for - you'll probably start making this beef every week just to have in the fridge. Even though this hummus is loaded with meat, it tastes great room temperature or chilled, so make it ahead of time and prepare to be the star of any potluck you attend.

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Shawarma Spiced Ground Beef Hummus

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 as a meal, 6-8 as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS

For the Hummus

• 1 can (540 ml/19 oz) chickpeas

• Water (about 3-4 cups)

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 cup lemon juice, divided

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup tahini paste

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 4 - 6 tbs ice cold water

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Salt

For the Shawarma Ground Beef

• 2 tbs olive oil, divided

• 1 tbs ginger garlic paste

• 2 tbs plain yogurt

• 1 tbs tahini paste

• 1 tbs white vinegar

• 2 tbs lemon juice, divided

• 1 tbs shawarma spice

• 1 tbs zataar

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp red chili powder

• Salt to taste

• 1 white onion, finely minced or grated

• 1 lb ground beef

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the hummus. Rinse and drain the chickpeas very well, then add them to a medium sized pot with enough water to cover them, and the baking soda. Turn the heat up to medium high and allow to come to a low boil. Boil for 15 - 20 minutes, until plump and the skins are starting to fall off. Strain and let cool slightly (no need to discard of the skin).

2. To a blender or food processor, add 3 tbs of the lemon juice, 2 tbs ice water, the garlic, and 1/3 cup tahini paste. Blend until the garlic is completely dissolved - the tahini will thicken significantly. You can scrape down the sides to help it blend better, or add another tbs of water.

3. Add the chickpeas, cumin, and another 2 tbs water. Blend on medium speed until it starts getting smooth and creamy, then drizzle in the olive oil, 1 tbs at a time. Blend for a total of 2 - 4 minutes for a super creamy hummus. If the hummus is too thick, add in another tbs of water. If it’s too thin, add the remaining tahini paste, but remember, it will thicken as it sits. Stir in a big pinch of salt and the remaining lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

4. Transfer the hummus to a large bowl or serving platter, and keep covered in the fridge while you prepare the ground beef.

5. For the ground beef, start by making the shawarma paste. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbs olive oil, the ginger garlic paste, yogurt, white vinegar, 1 tbs lemon juice, tahini, shawarma spice, zataar, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Whisk or stir well to fully combine and set aside.

6. To a medium to large frying pan, add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil, and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the ground beef and a big pinch of salt, and turn the heat up to medium high. Do your best to break the meat up as much as possible with your spatula or the back of a metal spoon. After about 3 minutes, add the yogurt paste made in the step above. Stir well and continue to cook over medium high for about 7 minutes, stirring often. At this point, there will be a lot of grease in the pan - turn the heat down to low and cook another 7-10 minutes, until all of the liquid and grease has absorbed fully into the meat and the meat is starting to crisp and caramelize. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining lemon juice.

7. Spoon the ground meat over the hummus. Because the meat to hummus ratio is about the same, this dish looks great served on a long platter. Serve immediately with pita, chips, bread, and/or crackers. This dish can be served cold and it still tastes great.

NOTES

• To make this dish even easier, you can buy prepared hummus and simply make the ground beef to spoon over top. I do not recommend grocery store hummus for this recipe however, because it is quite grainy. If you can get hummus from your local Arab grocery store or shawarma restaurant, you will get a much better quality product.

• You can use ground chicken or lamb instead of ground beef. If you use lamb, it will have much more grease and you may need to drain it before spooning over the hummus. If you use ground chicken, you can increase the amount of olive oil used in the shawarma paste by 1 tbs.