Rich in flavours and sharp with spice and citrus, the food
of West Asia is oftentimes presented in tandem with an
arsenal of pulses and grains. Herbs and vegetables are
immensely popular, while beans, lentils, and flatbread
have since made their way around the world as high-
nutrient, satiety-inducing staples. Serve these starters
with some spicy olive oil, oven-toasted flatbread, and
plenty of fragrant herbs!WEST ASIAN
HUMMUS
- One 400 g tin of
chickpeas, drained - 2 – 3 cloves of garlic
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- 1.5 Tbsp tahini
- Salt and fresh cracked
pepper to taste - 3 – 4 cubes of ice
- Sumac, extra virgin olive
oil, and flatbread to serve
Soak chickpeas in water and
gently run them through your
fingers to remove the skins.
Put de-skinned chickpeas into
a food processor with peeled
garlic, lemon juice, tahini,
salt, and pepper. Pulse a few
times, then scrape down
the sides and pulse again
before running the machine
on medium speed. Add
ice cubes, one at a time, to
loosen up the mixture. Once
you have a smooth paste,
turn off the machine and
plate up, drawing long stripsin the hummus with the back
of a spoon. Sprinkle on some
sumac, drizzle over some
olive oil, and serve.COUSCOUS
TABBOULEH- 50 g couscous
- ¼ cup cucumber, diced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint,
chopped - 2 Tbsp fresh parsley,
chopped - 1 Tbsp spring onion, sliced
- 1 tsp harissa spice powder
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook couscous; pour 75 –
100 ml boiling water over
couscous and cover with a
plate or clingwrap. When
done, fluff with fork and fold
in the rest of the ingredients.
Serve cool from the fridge.