Kabab Platter

If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I have a deep love for Middle Eastern Food. EVEN BETTER, now my family loves it too.

Every once in a while, I love serving dinner in a large platter for us to eat out of. That's right, all 5 of us, eat out of the same large plate. It's a common practice in the Middle East; It's known to signify hospitality, community, and closeness.

Nevertheless, I absolutely LOVE sharing this practice with my family, because,

1. It's different

2. It makes mealtime fun and

3. It's Memorable

So, let's get cooking!

For my platter, I started with a layer of Homemade Hummus, a combination of Beef and Chicken Kababs, topped with a fresh cucumber salad, sumac and served with Pita Bread!

You can make this your own by addition a variation of toppings to it such as:

Sliced Red Onion

Olives

Jalapeno

Couscous

Beef Kabab:

1 lb ground Beef

1/2 cup chopped onion,

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup ginger garlic paste

1tsp Garam Masala

1tsp Corriander Powder

2-4 finely chopped thai chillies

1tsp Salt and Pepper

Method: Mix all the above ingredients together. Once it's combined, roll 4-6 inch logs on to a skewer.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes

Turn the Broil function on and let the kababs slightly brown for about a minute

Remove immediately

Pro-Tip: Grilling is truly the best way to enjoy these kababs!

When grilling, make sure you turn the kababs every 1-2 minutes until it's cooked thru (about 8-10) minutes

You can also fry them on the stove.

When frying, spray a thin layer of cooking spray onto a flat pan. Heat it up on medium flame before adding the kababs.

Cook thoroughly, turning every 2 minutes. These should cook in about 8-10 minutes

Chicken Kabab:

1 lb ground chicken

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Coriander Seeds

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 finely chopped Thai Chilies

1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 tsp Salt

Method:

Using a Mortar and Pestle, powder the Cumin and Coriander Seeds.

Mix this powder and all the above ingredients together.

Pro Tip: Use a spoon to mix or dip your hands in water before mixing. It helps the ground chicken not stick to your hands.

Once it's combined, roll 4-6 inch logs on to a skewer. For this step also, make sure your hands are dipped in water and wet before working with the chicken to prevent it from sticking to your hands

Bake at 400 for about 10-12 minutes

Turn the Broil function on and let the kababs slightly brown for about a minute

Remove immediately

Pro-Tip: Grill these for the true authentic flavor

When grilling, make sure you turn the kababs every 1-2 minutes until it's cooked thru (about 8-10) minutes

You can also fry them on the stove.

When frying, spray a thin layer of cooking spray onto a flat pan. Heat it up on medium flame before adding the kababs.

Cook thoroughly, turning every 2 minutes. These should cook in about 8-10 minutes

Hummus:

2 Cups of Boiled/Cooked/Canned Chickpeas

1/4 Cup Tahini

1/2 tbsp Salt

2 cloves of Garlic

1/4 Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Water + more for desired consistency

Using a Blender, blend the above ingredients together until it forms a fine paste. Add water for desired consistency.

Garnish Ingredients:

1-2 Limes to squeeze over the finished dish

1/2 tsp Sumac

Olive Oil to Drizzle over the hummus

1/4 cup of a cucumber and tomato medley (this makes a delicious salad with a tiny squeeze of lime juice)

To Serve:

Layer a large portion of hummus on the bottom of the platter and drizzle some olive oil on it.

Next, stack up the cooked Kababs

Last, top it with Pita and to make it extra fancy, I added a tomato and cucumber salad with a sprinkle of Sumac and freshly squeezed lime juice

All will be well if you don't have Sumac. It's just as good without it.

I hope you try this recipe out and enjoy it!

xoxo

Joanna