This traditional hummus dish, made with spicy ful (cooked fava beans) and chickpeas, is very similar
cooking methods with a very British ingredient – butternut squash. Recipe by Sami Tamimi
to Meshulash Triple Hummus from Jaffa (page 120). This one takes its name from the Arabic word for
“Jerusalem.” Recipe by Hind Tahboub
Serves 6 to 8
1. Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C), and line a
baking tray with parchment paper.
Serves 4
1. To prepare the hummus: In a food processor,
1 butternut squash, seeded and cut lengthwise into
process the cooked chickpeas to a smooth paste.
1- to 1½-inch (2- to 3-centimeter) long wedges
2. Mix the squash in a bowl with the onion, oil, garlic,
For the Hummus
Add the chickpea cooking liquid and process to
2 medium red onions, cut into 1½- to 2-inch (3- to
salt, and black pepper. Spread out on the baking
2 cups (500 grams) Cooked Chickpeas for Hummus
incorporate. Add the tahini, lemon juice, and salt,
4-centimeter) wedges
tray, skin side down. Sprinkle the cinnamon over
(pages 176-7), plus ¹⁄₃ cups (80 milliliters) chickpea
and process until the texture is smooth and creamy,
3 tablespoons olive oil
the squash and roast until caramelized and soft but
cooking liquid
about 5 minutes.
1 garlic clove, crushed
still retaining a bite, about 35 minutes. Let cool.
½ cup (120 grams) tahini
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup (120 grams) lemon juice
2. To prepare the fava beans, ful medames-style:
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3. To prepare the tahini yogurt: Place all of the
1 teaspoon salt
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high
ingredients in a medium bowl, mix well,
heat. When the oil is hot, cook the onion, stirring
For the Tahini Yogurt
and set aside.
For the Fava Beans
occasionally, until golden brown, 8 minutes. Add
2²⁄₃ cups (150 grams) Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
the tomato, fava beans, garlic, vinegar, and chile
2 tablespoons tahini paste
4. To prepare the chickpeas: Heat the oil in a medium
1 small onion, finely chopped
pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the
1 small tomato, finely chopped
for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
cumin, paprika, garlic, and salt, and fry until
One 14-ounce can (400 grams) fava beans (ful
mash the ful mixture using a fork. Season with salt
the garlic starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add
medames), available at Middle Eastern speciality
and pepper.
For the Fried Chickpeas
chickpeas and continue to fry, stirring continuously
stores or online
¼ cup (60 milliliters) olive oil
until they absorb the oil and are golden and crisp,
¼ garlic clove, germ removed
3. Spread the hummus on a serving plate, then top
½ teaspoon ground cumin
6 to 7 minutes. Let cool.
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
with the ful, and sprinkle the chickpeas, parsley,
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chile pepper,
mint, olive oil, and some salt on top.
1 garlic clove, crushed
5. To prepare the salsa: Mix the ingredients in a small
such as serrano
¼ teaspoon salt
bowl and set aside.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup canned or Cooked Chickpeas for Salads
and Stews (pages 176-7), patted dry
6. When you are ready to serve, transfer the butternut
To Serve
squash wedges to a large platter, overlapping them
¹⁄₃ cup (100 grams) Cooked Chickpeas for Salads
For the Green Chile Salsa
randomly. Drizzle over the tahini yogurt sauce, then
and Stews (pages 176-7)
3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, roughly chopped,
top with the onion wedges. Sprinkle over the fried
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
plus 1 tablespoon for serving
chickpeas, followed by the salsa. Sprinkle with the
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley leaves, roughly chopped
remaining coriander and serve.
Olive oil
1 to 2 green chile peppers, such as serrano, seeded
Salt
and finely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
4 cardamom pods
3 tablespoons olive oil
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Jerusalem
Hummus
H A M I N S H P O N D R A O V E R N I G H T S H O R T - R I B ,
P O T A T O , A N D C H I C K P E A C A S S E R O L E
Similar to chickpeas, short ribs have a lot to offer those with patience. Both ingredients develop
deep flavors with slow, long cooking.
Serves 6
1. Place the chickpeas and wheat berries in 2 separate
bowls, add enough water to cover by at least
1½ cups (300 grams) dried chickpeas
2 inches (5 centimeters), and soak for 12 hours.
1½ cups (300 grams) wheat berries
¼ cup (60 milliliters) olive oil
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large,
2 pounds (900 grams) beef short ribs, cut into
heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
large cubes (ask your butcher to remove some
When the oil is hot, add the beef and cook,
of the fat)
turning periodically until lightly browned on
2 large onions, cut into small cubes
all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the meat
1 large carrot, cut into small cubes
and set aside.
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 small parsley roots, cut into small cubes
3. Add the onions, carrot, celery, and parsley roots,
1 small celery root, diced
stir to combine, and sauté for 5 minutes.
1 tablespoon honey
Add honey, paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt,
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
and black pepper. Return the meat to the pan
1 teaspoon cumin
and stir well.
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt
4. Drain the soaked chickpeas and wheat berries
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
and add to the saucepan.
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
8 small potatoes, peeled
5. Scatter the garlic cloves and arrange the potatoes on
4 cups (1 liter) stock or water
top in an even layer. Pour in the stock or water and
6 large eggs (optional)
bring to a boil. For overnight cooked eggs, place the
eggs on top in an even layer. Reduce the heat to its
lowest setting, cover, and cook for 6 hours, until the
meat and chickpeas are very soft and all the liquid
has been absorbed. Alternatively, transfer to an
electric hot plate or place in an oven preheated to
260°F (130°C).
6. Check the liquid every 2 to 3 hours, and add more
water if the stew looks dry.
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Jerusalem
Hummus
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249
Jerusalem
Hummus
At Merkaz Hafalafel Hateimani
(The Yemenite Falafel Center),
falafel is served with a kick of spicy
zhug sauce and wrapped in the
250
traditional lahuh flatbread.
251
Jerusalem
252
253
254
Jerusalem
For generations, the Akramawi
family passes down their hummus
secrets in their restaurant by the Old
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City’s Damascus Gate.
Hummus
ةصرانلا
T H E P R E G N A N T C H I C K P E A · T H E J O Y O F G R O W I N G C H I C K P E A S
M I R A C L E W A T E R A Q U A F A B A
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
Nazareth
F R E S H Z A ’ A T A R F A L A F E L · W A R M G A L I L E A N H U M M U S
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
B A Q D O N S I Y A G R E E N T A H I N I
תרצנ
259
Nazareth
Hazan says,“There’s a secret in
every falafel ball.” After years as a
busdriver, he retired to open his little
falafel shop, which serves ancient
260
recipes his grandmother taught him.
Nazareth
For two millennia, one hummus
recipe has prevailed and is still served
at Al-Sheikh restaurant, where it is
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hand-mashed the traditional way.
265
Nazareth
Al-Arz Tahini started small, with a
Hummus
special method for making tahini
and halva, engineered by Assad
Zaher and expanded by Julia Zaher.
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Hummus
T H E P R E G N A N T C H I C K P E A
Fresh chickpeas in the pod have a short and fertile season
In the springtime, small, inflated pods replace the flowers that cover chickpea
plants. Sometimes, a single seed develops inside each pod, sometimes a pair.
The green seeds look exactly like the more familiar dried yellow chickpeas, but
the taste is fresher. The season lasts until around mid-May to June, around the
holy days of Shavuot and Pentecost, and the demand for them seems to decrease
with every passing year.
In the alleyways of the Old City of Jerusalem, fire-roasted chickpea pods called
hawisi are sold in paper cones, which is probably the best way to enjoy them.
Vendors used to sell them in Jerusalem’s Mahaneh Yehuda Market, where they
were known as hamla malana, which translates to “full term pregnancy,” referring
to the round pods heavy with delicious green chickpeas.
When roasted, green chickpeas make for a wonderful snack with a rich and
surprising flavor.
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Hummus
T H E J O Y O F G R O W I N G C H I C K P E A S
Nof Atamna-Ismaeel
Stacks of plates covered grandma Wajeeha’s kitchen counter. Each plate was
padded with cotton wool soaked in water, on top of which rested hundreds
of golden chickpeas. Every day we peeked at the plates and witnessed how life
gradually emerged from them – little green stems covered in small bright green
leaves. Then it was time to take them to the field near the house and plant them
in the ground one by one. Grandma would dig a trail as I scattered the seeds,
one for every two steps, until all of the plates ran out of chickpeas. We watered
the seedlings every two days and waited patiently. Grandma promised: “The
taste grows along with the plant with every passing day.” The days passed slowly
and the wait was long as we eagerly anticipated eating the delicious pulses. We
watched the plants sprout, flower, and produce seed pods housing two minute
legumes that grew steadily until they filled their casings, and the day we had all
been waiting for had finally arrived.
The seed pods were now full, and not as vibrant green as they had been when
they were mostly filled with air. Grandmother was the only one allowed to uproot
the stems from the ground, which she did only after she had checked the edges
and the crown of the seed pods. Many times, only one of the pods would be full
while the other was still empty, and Grandma did not want the plants to go to
waste. So only the plants that were fully ripe were uprooted. She placed them
on a mat by the entrance so as not to litter the entire house with tiny leaves, and
we gathered around it for the task of separating the pods from the plants and
into a large aluminum siniya pan. We ate the delicious green chickpeas all the
while, making sure to lick our fingers, which still had a slight sour taste from
the green leaves.
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Nazareth
Hummus
Grandma brought over a long metal wire, took a bunch of chickpea plants, and
For me, hummus is not just a seed, it is a story of life reincarnated, memories, a
tied them into a bundle at the roots. She took my hand as we walked to the edge
means to communicate with my ancestors and keep them alive. It is the past and
of the yard, close to the cactus fence that separated us from the neighbors. She
the present of both my family and me. It is a cosmopolitan seed that is slowly
gathered twigs and stacked them in a pile, dipped an old newspaper in fuel and
wandering the world and becoming assimilated in different food cultures. It
placed it underneath. She then took matches out from her dress and lit a fire.
is a seed that has caused political storms, and yet managed to remain loved by
I watched the flames go up until the fire subsided, and all that remained was a
everyone. And while everyone wants to claim ownership over hummus, it has
carpet of glowing red twigs. She grabbed the metal wire by its tail and threw the
the last laugh, because the truth is, it has ownership over all of us.
green bundle onto the embers, picking it up and turning it over every few minutes,
until most of the leaves were burned and the pods slightly scorched. With great
skill, she yanked the wire and pulled the bundle from the fire, placing it on the
concrete floor behind the house. We then sat down together and placed the warm
Nof Atamna-Ismaeel is a chef, winner of Israeli Master Chef TV show. She is the artistic
pods in a bowl, making sure to take small breaks to eat the pods straight from
director of the Levantine Food Festival A-Sham held annually in Haifa, dedicated to educating
the stem. Grandma said that the green chickpeas tasted best when they were
on coexistence through food.
hot. The soft, smoky beans melting in my mouth, my little hands all covered in
char, and the long days of anticipation, waiting by the marble counter for the
stems to sprout, are all
memories etched in my heart forever.
The years went by, the cactus fence was replaced by a concrete wall, the field
where we would plant the chickpeas turned into a parking lot and the entrance
to my uncle’s house. I too grew up, got married, and had children who did
not get to see the field or experience the beauty I had experienced as a child. I
believe that it is these kinds of experiences that have a profound impact on us
(and not video games or PlayStation), so I decided to do something about it. I
dedicated a sizeable part of my yard to gardening, so that I could explain to my
children where the vegetables they eat come from, and how they grow. This was
a tradition that was important to my late grandmother and father. This is how I
feel close to them, through the furrows and the plants in the ground. This year,
we sowed chickpeas like we do every year, but the children found a creative way
to collect the pods. They went out to the yard with bowls, sat down next to the
plants and picked the pods directly from the plants without uprooting them. They
said the plants were so beautiful that they wanted to leave them in the ground.
They returned home with full bowls, a spark in their eyes, and happiness in their
hearts as they compared who managed to pick the most pods.
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Nazareth
Hummus
M I R A C L E W A T E R
Aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid) is alchemy
Aquafaba, the viscous water in which chickpeas have been cooked, contains
protein, pectin, soluble fibers, and complex carbohydrates. This liquid retains
much of the chickpeas’ protein and starch, making it an excellent stabilizer that
can replace egg whites in cooking and baking, in foods like meringue, icing,
and even mayonnaise.
How does it work? Using an electric mixer, whisk ½ cup of the room-temperature
cooking liquid at medium speed to a thick bubbly foam. Increase to high speed
and gradually add 1 cup of sugar, continuously whisking, until you reach the
stiff peaks stage (just as you would with egg whites). The whipped foam can be
flavored with lemon zest or vanilla and can be used to make meringue, folded
into a chocolate or fruit mousse, used as icing, and more.
Before you strain the chickpeas from their cooking liquid, place a saucepan or a
large bowl under the strainer, to reserve the liquid. The liquid can also be used
Ariel Rosenthal, Orly Peli-Bronshtein, Dan Alexander Page 11