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Hummus with spiced meat (Hummus im Basar) is a meal. Hummus with Meat and Eggplant is a feast. And while this dish is clearly not one of my vegan options, it can be made with one of the many meat crumble substitutes available.

I cannot urge you strongly enough to make your own hummus. It does require an overnight soaking of chickpeas but is a simple enough process. And while I have been known to buy a good ready-made brand on occasion, the difference of home-made is substantial. I especially love hummus freshly made and still warm. Hummus with Meat and Eggplant deserves nothing less than the best.

Because this dish is all about the hummus, please only prepare it if you are willing to make your own hummus. Even using a good quality canned chickpea instead of working from dried beans, is preferable to store-bought hummus. Okay, I’ve had my rant.

All this dish needs for the perfect meal is some fresh pita (home-made if possible) and some salads. This time I charred some peppers and made a quick salad with garlic, pickled lemons and cilantro. There is the ubiquitous baba ghanoush, my version of a Jerusalem salad along with Moroccan carrots and herbed olives. I’m lucky that my husband has learned to enjoy making fresh whole wheat pita. If you have access to a good fresh store-bought pita or other flat-bread like naan, go ahead and use that. (Lucky you!)

Once your hummus is made, the rest of the dish really is ready in under an hour. If you follow my blog, you will know by now that I adore eggplant in all of its varieties. Eggplant is so versatile. I am using it here to enhance the depth of flavor and add a velvetiness to the meat. And while it is doing this, the eggplant also allows me to use less meat, something I am always looking to do. If you are using vegan “meat” crumbles, the eggplant will add great flavor and texture as well.

This recipe for Hummus with Meat and Eggplant will easily feed 6 to 8 people with bread and salads. Leftovers are possible, but I would store the topping and hummus separately for best results.

I have chosen to not include a recipe for standard hummus here. (However, do be sure to check out my Spinach and Avocado Hummus for a great variation on a classic.) There are literally dozens of recipes available online and you very likely are already making one of them. One isn’t necessarily more “right” than the next. I like mine with garlic and lemon. Choose the one that you like. They will all work here.

My starting point for the meat topping comes from Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen: A Cookbook by Adeena Sussman. I then made it my own. Don’t get too bogged down in exact amounts. We each like things a particular way – sweeter, more tart, spicier etc. Also different brands of tamarind paste may be more tart than others and some of my spices may be fresher – or less fresh than yours.

It may seem as if there are a LOT of ingredients. However, if you do Middle Eastern or South Asian cooking, you should have most things on hand. And there are absolutely no fancy techniques here. It’s basically chop, mix and cook. Oh yes – and enjoy!

Recipe

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons EVOO

1 pound ground lamb or lean beef or meat substitute

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion (any variety), peeled and finely chopped

4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or grated

2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste

2 teaspoons dried, ground cumin

rounded 3/4 teaspoon ground sumac

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

3 Tablespoons Tamarind paste or to taste

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

15 ounces of tomato sauce

Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 of a juicy lemon

1 to 2 Tablespoons date syrup, agave or maple syrup to taste

1.5 cups of chopped fresh herbs – cilantro, flat-leafed parsley, dill or a mixture

1/4 lightly toasted pine nuts or blanched, slivered almonds

About 4 cups of fresh hummus

Directions

Add the oil to a large, heavy flat-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven. Heat it to shimmering and add the onion, eggplant and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and the onions begin to brown. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.

Make a well in the middle of the vegetables, pushing them to the side. Add the ground meat and break it up, allowing it to brown. When it is almost finished browning, add in the chopped garlic. Give the whole pan a good stir. I like to use a flat wooden spatula to left everything up and move it around.

Add in the tomato sauce and paste and spices. Give everything a good stir. Next add the tamarind paste and lemon juice. Stir through, taste it and adjust the seasonings to taste. My tamarind was pretty tart so I added in about 1 Tablespoon of date syrup to “soften” things a bit.

Continue cooking, covered on a low heat for about 10 more minutes to allow everything to meld. This can be done ahead and then reheated when you are ready to eat.

Just before serving, add about 1 cup of the chopped herbs to the mixture and stir through.

To serve if you plan on eating everything in one sitting: arrange the hummus on a platter and smooth it out, making the sides a bit higher than the center. Spoon the meat (or meat substitute) filling into the center and garnish with remaining chopped herbs and toasted nuts. Now dig in!

To serve individual portions because it will not all be eaten in one evening: arrange individual plates as if they are mini-platters.