Arabic Mezze Platter | Hummus | Mutabbal | Babaganosh | Tabbouleh

I have been planning to make a video of a Mezze platter for a long time. I was not even sure if I could do justice to such beautiful and vibrant-looking dips, which we usually see in an Arabic restaurant. While clearing my kitchen cupboards, I came across this 5-in-1 ceramic dish lying in a spot my hands couldn’t reach easily —I mean, it was totally out of my sight. I mainly used it to serve nuts and dry fruits to my guests. So now that I had the prop and the plan, there was no reason for me to postpone the video shoot of this healthful, nourishing, and refreshing Arabic Mezze Platter. Let me tell you that these are not the only dips and salads found in a typical Mezze platter. Apart from the salads and dips, you can also find starters like Falafel and Kibbe, and not to forget the traditional rice stuffed vine leaves as part of the Arabic Mezze. All of these are served with Kababs and traditional Pita bread.

The word ‘Mezze’ in the Middle Eastern countries means ‘sharing’, and it is a platter consisting of small portions of appetizers usually served before the main course. What you see here is just a small portion of it. The Arabs, Greeks, Persians, Turks, and others in the Mediterranean region are much more generous in serving their meals, so if you happen to visit these restaurants, you will be more than happy to see some of the starters being served for free before your actual main course arrives.

Apart from its beautiful and lively presentation, the Mezze platter is an ideal spread to be served at parties. The added advantage is that it is quicker and easier to prepare than it actually seems. If you are planning to go light on your diet or avoid meat for a few days, Mezze can be the perfect meal.

You will find some ingredients used in these recipes that are not very common, and others in Middle Eastern countries. One such ingredient is Sumac, which is a dried and powdered form of a berry, and to get a similar flavor, it can be substituted with dried and powdered pomegranate.

You can make your own homemade Tahini by simply dry roasting 1 cup of sesame seeds and then grinding them to a smooth paste along with some olive oil and salt, without adding any water. You can store this in the refrigerator for 3 months.

Burghol or Bulgur is a fine broken wheat. It is so fine that just soaking it in boiling water for 30 minutes is more than enough. Some people even boil it before adding it to the salad. You can use cooked ‘dalia’ as a substitute.

Ingredients

Instructions

Arabic-style dip with eggplant grilled to perfection, mashed and combined with other fresh ingredients, making it a healthy option, served with Kababs and pita bread.”

1 large-sized eggplant (purple brinjal)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sumac

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 250 degrees C.

Wash the eggplant, prick it with a fork all around, and grill in the oven for 20 -25 minutes or till it is fully cooked and soft.

Peel the eggplant and chop the flesh into a fine puree without using any grinder (mash with a fork). Place it in a bowl.

To the mashed eggplant, add all the above-mentioned ingredients.

Taste the dip and adjust the salt and sourness accordingly.

Pour the dip into a serving bowl, spread evenly, and drizzle more olive oil, sumac powder, and pomegranate seeds on top.

Keep it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour before serving.

Serve chilled with Kababs and pita bread.

2-3 cups finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup burghol/bulgur wheat/fine broken wheat

1 large cucumber, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the wheat and soak it in 1 cup of boiling water for 30 minutes.

Discard the water from the soaked wheat.

Take a large mixing bowl, combine the soaked wheat and all other ingredients mentioned above.

Place the salad in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Serve chilled with kababs and pita bread.

 

HUMMUS