Hummus bi Lahmeh (Hummus Topped with Spiced Lamb and Pine Nuts)

Ingredients

• 800 g tinned chickpeas
• 6 tbsp tahini
• 2 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g lamb mince
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 40 g pine nuts
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• 6 pitta breads
• 1 cucumber
• 3 tomatoes

Method

1. 1

   Warm the tinned chickpeas in their liquid for 5 minutes, then drain, keeping 150ml of the liquid and a spoonful of whole chickpeas for the top.

2. 2

   Blend the chickpeas with the tahini, the juice of 1½ lemons, the garlic, 1 tsp salt and enough of the reserved liquid to make a very smooth, light hummus; give it a good 3-4 minutes.

3. 3

   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the lamb mince with the allspice, cinnamon and ½ tsp salt for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned, crisp at the edges and no pink remains. Add the pine nuts for the last 2 minutes and squeeze in the rest of the lemon.

4. 4

   Spread the hummus into shallow bowls, making a well in the middle, and spoon in the hot lamb and pine nuts. Drizzle with the remaining oil and dust with the paprika.

5. 5

   Serve straight away with warm pitta breads and the cucumber and tomatoes cut into wedges.