Hummus with ground beef, an Israeli favorite, is great dish that can be eaten as main dish, side dish, appetizer, or snack. You could use store bought hummus, but why do that when making it yourself is so easy and so much better.
- 15 oz Canned Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Skins removed
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 3 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini Paste
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion Diced
- 1/2 lb Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Shawarma Seasoning This can be bought pre-made or you can make it yourself by blending coriander, sumac, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric, cloves, and allspice.
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Food Processor fitted with the "S" Blade
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Add all the Hummus ingredients except the olive oil to the food processor. Process until a paste starts to form. If the paste starts to climb up the sides of the bowl, turn off the food processor, remove the lid, and scrape it down with a soft spatula.
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With the food processor still running, slowly drizzle in the 1/4 cup olive oil. Continue to process until the paste is completely smooth.
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Sprinkle the ground beef with the shawarma seasoning, making sure the shawarma seasoning is well distributed.
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Take your largest, heaviest, frying pan and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and put over high heat. If you have a cast iron skillet, this is a good time to use it.
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Once the pan is very hot, crumble in the ground beef. Cook on each side until nicely browned.
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Remove the ground beef, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions.
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Saute the onions until they just start to brown. Remove the onions and combine with the ground beef.
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Spread a thick layer of the hummus on a plate and top with the ground beef and onions. Serve immediately with pita on the side.
I call for canned chickpeas with the skins removed in this recipe. I find that if you don't remove the skins from the chickpeas the hummus has a gritty texture. If that doesn't bother you than you can use the chickpeas right out of the can. To remove the skins, just lightly squeeze each chickpea between your fingers. It is a bit labor intensive, but I think it is worth it.