to water plants, since it is rich in minerals and other beneficial nutrients.
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Hummus
F A L A F E L B ’ A J I N V E G E T A R I A N L A H M A J U N
F R E S H Z A ’ A T A R F A L A F E L
This is a vegetarian version of the beloved lahmajun, a yeasted flatbread topped with spiced ground
The abundance of stalls offering fresh greens is characteristic of Nazareth’s market. During spring time,
beef or lamb. Crumbly falafel batter, which takes the place of the meat, is spread over the dough
when fresh hyssop, the main ingredient in the za’atar spice, is aplenty, try adding it to falafel.
and baked in the oven until brown and crispy.
If you can’t find it, use fresh oregano instead.
Makes 10 flatbreads
1. Place the flour, yeast, milk powder, salt, and oil in
Makes 50 balls
1. Rinse chickpeas thoroughly. Place in a large
the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough
bowl, add water to cover by at least 2 inches
3 cups (420 grams) unbleached all-purpose
hook attachment. Mix for about 3 minutes, until
2½ cups (500 grams) dried chickpeas
(5 centimeters), and soak in the refrigerator
flour, sifted
the oil has been absorbed into the flour.
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
for 12 hours.
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons milk powder
2. Gradually add 1 cup of water and knead the dough
4 scallions
2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse thoroughly.
1 teaspoon salt
until smooth, about 7 minutes. If the dough seems
1 cup parsley leaves
¹⁄₃ cup (80 milliliters) olive oil
too dry, add more water. Cover with a towel and let
½ cup fresh hyssop leaves
3. Grind the chickpeas, onions, garlic, scallions,
1 to 1¼ cups (240 to 300 milliliters) warm water
the dough rest for 45 minutes.
1 tablespoon salt
parsley, and hyssop leaves in a meat grinder into
1 cup (140 grams) Falafel Hakosem mixture
1 tablespoon cumin
a chunky paste. Alternatively, use a food processor
(pages 184-5)
3. Prepare the falafel mixture.
1 tablespoon dry coriander
fitted with a steel blade to process in several cycles.
Olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
1 teaspoon baking powder
4. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Prepare a
4. Transfer to a bowl, add the remaining ingredients,
To Serve
baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
and mix well.
Chopped Vegetable Salad (page 280)
Tahini Sauce (page 281)
5. Divide the dough into 10 equal balls.
5. Heat 2 inches (5 centimeters) of oil in a deep
saucepan over a medium heat to 350°F (180°C).
6. Roll a dough ball to ¼-inch (1 centimeter)
Using wet hands, 2 tablespoons, a falafel spoon, or
thick, brush with olive oil, and spread a heaping
a small ice-cream scoop, form the mixture into a
tablespoon of the falafel mixture on top in an even
ball the size of a walnut and lightly press to flatten.
layer. Repeat this step with the remaining dough
Repeat with the remaining mixture.
balls and falafel mixture. Transfer to the prepared
baking sheet (about 4 breads will fit on one sheet).
6. Fry the falafel balls, 6 at a time, until golden brown
all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander or a
7. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and bake 15
paper-towel-lined baking sheet to remove excess oil.
minutes or until the topping is browned and the
Serve immediately.
dough is golden. Serve immediately with chopped
salad and tahini.
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Nazareth
Hummus
W A R M G A L I L E A N H U M M U S
Unlike other recipes, this hummus doesn’t require cooling the cooked chickpeas before puréeing them,
or cooling the hummus before serving.
Makes 4 cups (1 kilogram) hummus
1. Place the chickpeas and ½ cup (120 milliliters) of
the cooking liquid in a food processor and purée
2 cups (500 grams) Cooked Chickpeas for Hummus
until smooth.
(pages 176-7), plus 1 cup (240 milliliters) chickpea
cooking liquid
2. Add the tahini, salt, and lemon juice. Mix.
1¼ cups (300 milliliters) raw tahini (or more,
to taste)
3. While processing, add the remaining ½ cup (120
1 teaspoon salt
milliliters) chickpea cooking liquid a little at a time,
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste (optional)
processing to a smooth, creamy consistency.
Season to taste.
To Serve
Olive oil
4. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle olive oil, and season with
Ground cumin
cumin and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve with
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
pickled peppers.
Pickled shipka or other chile peppers
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Hummus
C H O P P E D V E G E T A B L E S A L A D
T A H I N I S A U C E
The secret to a great chopped vegetable salad is in the freshness and quality of the ingredients,
When making tahini sauce, the most important thing to remember is that everything is reversible.
chopping the vegetables to the same size and as finely as you can, and serving it immediately.
If it seems that the sauce has broken, or is too thin or thick, you can always add more tahini (if it is
Double this recipe if you wish to serve the salad as a side dish, rather than in a pita.
too thin), more water (if it is too thick), or continue to mix until you are happy with the consistency.
Serves 4, as an accompaniment to hummus
1. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl,
Makes 1 cup
1. Place the water, salt, and citric acid or lemon juice
or falafel
season with salt, and serve immediately.
in a small bowl and mix well.
½ cup (120 grams) raw tahini (preferably
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
Al-Arz brand)
2. Gradually pour in the tahini, stirring continuously,
3 small Persian cucumbers, finely chopped
¹⁄₃ cup (80 milliliters) cold water
until the texture is smooth. Season to taste.
1 small red onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
¹⁄₃ teaspoon citric acid or 1 teaspoon fresh
3 to 4 slices hot green chile pepper, such as
lemon juice
serrano, finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or ¹⁄₃ teaspoon sumac
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch cinnamon
Salt, to taste
B A Q D O N S I Y A G R E E N T A H I N I
Tip
For a creamy salad, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of
; The key to achieving green tahini, rather than tahini with green chunks in it, is to process the herbs
Tahini Sauce (page 281) to the chopped vegetable
into a juicy pulp before adding the remaining ingredients.
salad, then mix together. The salad’s juices and the
sesame paste should emulsify into a rich dressing.
If the salad isn’t juicy enough, add one tablespoon
of water or lemon juice, then combine.
Serves 4
1. Place the herbs and water in the bowl of a food
processor fitted with a steel blade, and process
²⁄₃ cup parsley, only the leaves
until the mixture becomes a green juice.
6 mint and/or tarragon sprigs, only the leaves
¹⁄₃ cup (80 milliliters) cold water
2. Add the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice, and process
½ cup (120 grams) raw tahini
until the paste is uniformly green and smooth.
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3. Season with salt, taste, and adjust seasoning to your
½ teaspoon salt
taste, adding more salt or lemon if necessary.
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Nazareth
Hummus
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Nazareth
Hummus
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Nazareth
Hummus
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Hummus
اكع
A N A N C I E N T S H O P P I N G L I S T · T H E H U M M U S H A R V E S T
H U M M U S A L A K A W I · F A L A F E L A L A K A W I
H U M M U S E L A B E D
Acre
M A K H L U T A H U M M U S W I T H F U L M E D A M E S , C H I C K P E A S , A N D
O L I V E O I L · S A J P I T A · M N A Z Z A L E H E G G P L A N T , B E L L P E P P E R ,
A N D C H I C K P E A S T E W
וכע
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Acre
Acre
292
Arin Abu-Hmid Kurdi (right), a
former social worker, realized her
dream, and opened her El Abed Abu
Hmid hummus restaurant at Acre’s
ancient lighthouse.
Acre
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Acre
Hummus
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Acre
300
Acre
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Hummus
A N A N C I E N T S H O P P I N G L I S T
In third-century Greece, chickpeas were a pantry staple
This papyrus scroll, written in ancient Greek by Heraclides to his brother Petechois
in the third century, is essentially a shopping list. He asks him to buy poultry,
bread, lupines, chickpeas, kidney beans, and fenugreek at various prices. Such
documents provide important evidence of the level of literacy in the Roman
world, and offer insight into the everyday lives of ordinary people, and the role
that chickpeas played at that time.
Left:
Third-century papyrus shopping list
written in Greek.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art
Resource, NY
Following pages:
“The bitter arrows of Helenus bounce
back from Menelaus like chickpeas
on the winnower’s basket,” The Iliad,
by Homer.
Third-century BCE vase painting on
an Apulian volute krater, of Menelaus
and Helen after the conquest of Troy.
bpk Bildagenteur / Antikensammlung,
SMB / Ingride Geske
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Acre
Yosef Baballah brings special flavors
from his childhood in the mixed-
culture city of Acre, to his Alakawi
restaurant in Kafr Qara.
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Acre
Hummus
T H E H U M M U S H A R V E S T
Chickpeas come but once a year
In Israel, the chickpea harvest takes place every year in June, when the pods are
golden and the beans are shelled. In other words, the local supply is replenished
only once a year. The amount of time that passes from the point when the
chickpeas leave the soil to when they arrive in the pot, has a large impact on
their cooking characteristics – chickpeas purchased around July or August will
soften much faster than those that have been stored on the shelf for over a year.
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Hummus
H U M M U S A L A K A W I
F A L A F E L A L A K A W I
Acre native Yosef Baballah, a veteran of Tel Aviv’s food and beverage industry,
Every falafel maker lays claim to a special spice that gives their fritters a unique flavor.
opened his Alakawi restaurant a few years ago, serving the food he knows best. One of the specialties
For Yosef Baballah, it is dried marjoram that lends a delicate, fresh aroma. Recipe by Yosef Baballah
at Alakawi is Acre-style hummus, which Yosef learned to make as a boy. This recipe takes three days
to prepare, but Yosef believes it is worth a try, at least once. Recipe by Yosef Baballah
Makes 40 balls
1. Rinse chickpeas thoroughly. Place in a large
bowl, add water to cover by at least 2 inches (5
Serves 8
1. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Place in a large
2½ cups (500 grams) dried chickpeas
centimeters), and soak in the refrigerator for 12
bowl, add water to cover by at least 2 inches (5
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
hours, changing the water every 4 hours.
2½ cups (500 grams) dried chickpeas,
centimeters), and soak in the refrigerator for 12
2 garlic cloves, peeled
preferably small
hours, changing the water every 4 hours.
1 green chile pepper, such as serrano, seeded
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2 cups (500 grams) raw tahini
¹⁄₃ cup cilantro
2 teaspoons salt
2. Drain the chickpeas. Place them in a large saucepan,
¹⁄₃ cup parsley
3. Grind the chickpeas, onions, garlic, chile pepper,
1 teaspoon citric acid
cover with 8 inches (20 centimeters) of water, place
1 tablespoon ground coriander
cilantro, and parsley in a meat grinder to a chunky
Juice of 1 small lemon
on a hotplate or kerosene lamp, and cook over low
1 tablespoon ground cumin
paste. Add water if necessary. Alternatively, use a
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
heat for 8 hours or overnight.
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
food processor fitted with a steel blade to process
1¼ tablespoons salt
the mixture in several batches.
To Serve
3. Allow the chickpeas to cool to room temperature in
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (250 grams) Cooked Chickpeas for Salads
their cooking liquid before refrigerating for 8 to 12
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4. Transfer to a bowl, add the remaining ingredients,
and Stews (pages 176-7), warmed
hours, the longer the better.
2 tablespoons water (optional)
and mix well. The mixture should be crumbly, but
Olive oil
moist enough to ho
ld its shape when rolled into a
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
4. Using an immersion blender, purée the chickpeas
ball. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of
Ground cumin
with their cooking liquid (which should now be
water at a time to achieve the desired consistency.
Chopped parsley
gelatinous) until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the
tahini, salt, citric acid, and lemon juice, and process
5. Heat 2 inches (5 centimeters) of oil in a deep
Tip
to a smooth buttery texture. Add the olive oil and
saucepan over medium heat to 350°F (180°C).
Without the use of raising agents, hummus will
process to a smooth, thick cream.
Using wet hands, 2 tablespoons, a falafel spoon,
stay fresh only for a day or two, refrigerated.
or a small ice-cream scoop, divide the mixture into
5. Transfer to a tightly sealed container and keep
balls the size of a walnut.
refrigerated until ready to use.
6. Fry the falafel balls, 5 to 6 at a time, until golden
6. To serve, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl,
brown all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a
form a pit in the center, and place the warm
colander or a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to
chickpeas. Drizzle olive oil and a little lemon juice
remove excess oil.
on top, season with cumin, and sprinkle on the
chopped parsley.
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Hummus
H U M M U S E L A B E D
This simple and popular dish owes its special flavor to warming baharat seasoning, served at the
El Abed Abu Hmid Hummus eatery, located in the heart of Acre’s Old Lighthouse compound.
Owner Arin Abu-Hmid Kurdi named it in honor of her late father. Recipe by Arin Abu-Hmid Kurdi
Serves 4
1. Heat the samneh over medium heat in a large pan.
Add the chickpeas, season with baharat and salt,
2 cups (500 grams) Cooked Chickpeas for Salads
mix together well, and cook, stirring continuously
and Stews (pages 176-7)
until the chickpeas have absorbed the fat and spices,
3 tablespoons samneh or ghee
about 5 minutes.
1 tablespoon of store-bought or homemade
Baharat Spice Mix (page 376)
2. Serve warm with a chopped vegetable salad.
Salt, to taste
To Serve
Ariel Rosenthal, Orly Peli-Bronshtein, Dan Alexander Page 12
