Hummus topped with lamb (Hummus ma lahma)

FOR THE CREATION OF THE GRAND-BICO

Components

• 1 and 1/3 cups of chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 4 cups of water (tea)

Ready state

1. In a large bowl, put the chickpeas, add water, and stir in the bicarbonate. Cover the bowl with a plate and let it soak for at least 8 hours (or, if you prefer, soak the chickpeas overnight).

PARA HOMUS

Components

• all soaked chickpeas
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 cups of water (tea)
• 6 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
• 6 tablespoons of lemon broth (approximately 2 lemons)
• season with salt as desired

Setup phase

1. After soaking the grains, drain the water and place them in the pressure cooker. Use the flat side of a knife blade to crush and peel the garlic cloves. Add the chickpeas and cover them with water.

1. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat. Once it begins to whistle, reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally before removing the lid.
2. Use three-quarters of a cup of baking broth and strain the boiled beans through a sieve. Allow the cooked chickpeas to cool for about 10 minutes before blending. Slightly warm beans blend more easily, resulting in a smoother hummus.
3. Add the warm beans (along with the cooked garlic cloves), lemon broth, tahini, and reserved baking water to the blender, then season with salt. Blend for approximately 3 minutes until the mixture becomes very smooth and creamy, pausing as needed to scrape down the sides of the container with a spatula to ensure even mixing.
4. Place the homus in a bowl, cover it, and refrigerate to chill while you prepare the meat (alternatively, you can make the homus the day before).

FOR MEAT AND ASSEMBLY

Components

• 350 g of minced lamb shoulder
• Half an onion
• A quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• One teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• One cardamom pod
• 4 stalks of parsley
• Three sprigs of mint
• Season with salt and ground pepper as desired.
• pomegranate sauce, as desired, for serving
• Tahini sauce, served according to taste.
• Mint leaves for serving, as desired

Setup mode

1. Remove the onion’s skin and dice it. Rinse, dry, and finely shred the mint and parsley leaves.

1. Using a small knife, slice off the tip and split open the cardamom pod. Move the seeds to the mortar, add the coriander and cumin seeds, and crush thoroughly. Combine with cinnamon, paprika, and bay leaf.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the meat and cook for approximately 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking the pieces apart with a spatula, until it turns golden brown. Since lamb meat contains more fat, there is no need to add oil.
3. Once the meat has browned, add the chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, include the spices, and stir thoroughly. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent. Turn off the heat and finally stir in the chopped herbs.
4. To assemble: spread the hummus on a wide, shallow dish, place the meat on one side, drizzle with pomegranate sauce, tahini sauce, and garnish with sausage and mint leaves. You may also include crunchy roasted chickpeas and golden fried onion petals. Serve alongside Syrian bread.

EXTRA GROUP

Crispy bean

Drain 1 can of boiled chickpeas (about 1 1⁄2 cups of grains) in a sieve. Place them on a baking tray, season with 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of cumin, salt, and 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix thoroughly and bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (medium heat) for approximately 30 minutes, until they turn golden – shake the tray halfway through. Allow to cool before serving.

Petals of golden onion

Trim the root end of 3 pearl onions and slice each one lengthwise in half. Peel and separate the layers of each onion into petal shapes. Season with 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then mix thoroughly. In a non-stick skillet, arrange the onion petals cut side down, placing them close together. Cover and cook over medium heat until they become translucent and slightly tender, approximately 5 minutes. Move them to a bowl and toss while still warm with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.