lahma bi agin, falafel, hummus bi tahini with mint, radish and tahini pomegranate molasses dip recipe

By The Shahrouk sisters
Difficulty not too difficult
Cooking time more than 2 hours
Serves 6

A beautiful mixed entree from the Shahrouk sisters for the grand finale spread of Family Food Fight.

INGREDIENTS

Hummus bi tahini (makes 3 cups)
250g dried chickpeas
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
¼ cup tahini
½ cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt
paprika, to serve

Falafel (makes 20)
250g dried chickpeas
125g dried split fava beans
½ onion, peeled and quartered
¼ bunch parsley
¼ bunch coriander
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon mixed spice
2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
salt, to taste

Lahma bi agin pastry (makes 24)
185g unsalted butter, coarsely grated
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
pinch sugar
Lahma bi agin lamb topping
1½ tablespoon tahini
1½ teaspoon vinegar
3 teaspoons plain yoghurt
3 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
250g fine lamb mince
3 teaspoon ghee
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
salt, to taste
2 tablespoons pinenuts

Tahini and pomegranate molasses dip (makes 1 cup)
½ cup tahini
½ cup white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
mint leaves and sliced radish, to serve

METHOD

For the hummus, place chickpeas and bicarb soda into a large bowl and add enough water to make sure water level is about 15cm above top of chickpeas.  Stir briefly, cover and allow to soak for 12 hours.

Drain and wash chickpeas. Discard any discoloured chickpeas then place into a medium saucepan. Add enough water to generously cover chickpeas and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until chickpeas are very tender. Drain and cool slightly.  Reserve about 2 tablespoons of chickpeas for garnish before placing remainder into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer puree to fridge until cold. Return chickpea puree to the food processor and add remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Season with salt taste. Store in fridge until serving.

For the falafel, place chickpeas and fava beans into a large bowl and add water until water is 15cm above level of chickpeas and fava beans. Cover and soak for 12 hours.

Drain and wash well. Discard any discoloured chickpeas and fava beans. Place into the bowl of a food processor with onion, parsley and coriander. Process until finely chopped and mixture starts to come together to a coarse paste. Stir through cumin, mixed spice, sesame seeds, bicarb and salt.

Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer or saucepan to 170°C.

Use your hands to form patties with about 1½ tablespoons of falafel mixture. Ensure mixture is firmly pressed to keep patties together. Deep fry in batches for 4-5 minutes until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towel and season lightly with salt.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

For the pastry, place 80ml ice cold water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add ¼ of the butter then flour, salt and sugar. Mix on low speed until mixture comes together. Increase speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes, adding a little more water if required, until a soft, shiny and smooth dough forms.

Place dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a rectangle, about 25cm x 35cm. Place remaining butter into the centre of the dough then fold dough over to enclose butter. Roll out dough to a large rectangle. Fold dough to create 3 layers. Turn 90 degrees and roll into rectangle.  Repeat folding, turning and rolling process another 4-5 times. Fold again, wrap in cling film and place into fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge, unwrap and roll out to a rectangle measuring 25cm x 38cm approximately.  Using a 6cm round cutter, cut 24 rounds from dough and place onto a lined baking tray. Place in fridge until ready to cook.

For the lamb topping, place tahini into a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix together until smooth. Add yogurt and pomegranate molasses and mix well. Set aside.

Place a medium sized frypan over medium heat. Add lamb mince and cook, stirring constantly, breaking up any lumps until mince loses its pink colour. Transfer mince to a sieve set over a bowl and allow excess liquid to drain. Return frypan to heat and add ghee and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add drained mince and tahini mixture. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to coat mice in tahini mixture. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir through parsley and mint.

Spoon lamb mixture onto pastry rounds and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil.

For the tahini and pomegranate molasses dip, place tahini into a small bowl. Slowly add vinegar and whisk with a fork to bring together to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the salt. Add pomegranate molasses in a thin stream over paste and use the point of a knife to swirl through dip.

To serve, place a generous spoonful of hummus onto each serving plate and top with a few reserved chickpeas. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Add a falafel, 2 lahma bi agin, some mint leaves and sliced radish. Add a small ramekin of tahini and pomegranate molasses dip. Alternatively, prepare a large serving platter of dishes to share between 6-8 people. 

Image and recipe courtesy of the Shahrouk sisters for Family Food Fight.