Holidays are a thing of the past at the moment but I can’t express just how much I miss them. Looking back at our holiday snaps makes me yearn for a little bit of adventure and that joy of discovering new places. If there’s one place I’d love to visit just for the food, it’s Israel. Food from all over the world, coming together in one place makes the food scene unbeatable. What’s more, influences from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa mean there’s a strong lean toward vegetables and Israel has the world’s highest ratio of vegans so finding tasty plant based food really isn’t hard.
While everyone knows falafel, there’s one thing I love more and that’s Sabich. Traditionally, this is a sandwich with layers of hummus, fried aubergine slices, potato, and a boiled egg, all topped with with a selection of sauces like amba, zhoug and tahini. Stuffed into a fluffy pita this makes a sandwich like no other. Seriously, I just can’t express how tasty it is. To make this perfect for dinner I’ve turned it into a platter so everyone can have as much as as little as they want. Add in my own little touches and this makes for the perfect dinner for meal prep leading to a really effort but tasty dinner.
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Cajun Hummus:
- 600g Butter Beans, cooked
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 60ml Lemon Juice
- 60ml Tahini
- 60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 2 tsp Cajun Spice
- 1 tsp Salt
For the Marinaded Tofu:
- 400g Tofu, drained & pressed
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp All Spice
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
For the Tahini Sauce:
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 80ml Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 125ml Tahini (aprox 150g)
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- Cold water
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For the Platter:
- 1 large Aubergine
- 2 Tbsp Cornflour
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 2 tsp Paprike, plus more for dusting
- 4 Medium Potatoes
- Pitta Breads
For the Zhoug:
- 1/4 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/t tsp White Pepper
- 3 Small Cardamon Pods
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Red Chillies
- 1 tsp Salt
- 30g Fresh Parsley
- 30g Fresh Coriander
- 120ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Israeli Salad:
- 3 Tomatoes
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1/2 Red Onion
- 30g Parley
- 30ml Lemon Juice
- 45ml Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Directions
To make the hummus: This is incredibly easy. Put all the ingredients into your food processor and mix until light and fluffy. If making this ahead of time then hummus stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days and freezes happily – just remember to put it into an airtight container first.
To make the tahini sauce: Put the lemon juice and garlic cloves into the blender. Mix until the garlic cloves have been broken down to stop the garlic from being too harsh. Add the rest of the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Gradually add in the water, a few tablespoons at a time, until you have a light, lightly thick sauce. Like the hummus, tahini sauce is quite happy to sit in the fridge for several days so this can be made ahead as well.
To make the Zhoug: Traditionally, this is made using a mortar and pestle but personally I prefer using a mini food processor – use whatever you have to hand. Start by toasting the seeds. Place a dry pan on a medium heat and toast the seeds until they darken slightly. Put the spices into your processor and pulse until they start to break up. Add in the garlic cloves and chillies (removing the seeds if you want to control the heat) and pulse until a rough paste forms. Add in the herbs, olive oil, and salt and continue to pulse until the herbs are thoroughly chopped and the oil has formed an emulsion. Taste and check for seasoning before putting to one side. Zhoug is best fresh but it can happily be made ahead of time if needed and stored in an airtight container for a few weeks..
To make the Tofu: This one’s not complicated. Start by chopping the tofu into large, bitesize chunks. Firmly whisk together the rest of the ingredients to form a thick paste. Coat the tofu well and leave to marinade for 30 minutes before placing on a lined baking tray.
To make the Israeli Salad: Firstly, finely dice the tomatoes, toss in a little salt, and leave to strain for about 10 minutes. Prepare the rest of the salad while you wait. All the vegetables for this salad should be chopped finely and about the same size – aim for 0.5cm square if you can. Finely dice the parsley as well. Once the tomatoes are drained, place everything into a bowl and toss well, adding seasoning to taste. Place in the fridge until needed.
Putting together the platter: Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices before putting into a large pan. Cover with salted water and simmer for 20 minutes, or until a fork easily pieces the slices. Drain well and very gently toss with a little oil before place onto a lined baking tray in a single layer.
Pre heat the oven to 240 degrees (220 Fan/475 F). Put the tofu and potatoes into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
While the tofu and potatoes roast in the oven, thickly slice the aubergine. Toss together the cornflour and spices before coating each slice. Place a large frying on a medium to high heat with at least a centimetre of oil. When the oil is hot, fry off the dusted aubergine slices until a deep golden brown on both sides. Drain well once cooked.
To serve, I lay it all out on a large serving platter with a swirl of hummus on once side. I like to spoon some of the zhoug onto the hummus before spooning everything else onto the plate. With the sauces and some warmed pita breads on the side, this is an unconventional dinner than will make everyone happy
Notes
This is the perfect meal for batch cooking. Everything can be made in advance and served cold so boxed into individual serves makes a truly brilliant lunch. Alternatively, if you’re prepping ahead of time most items can be done ahead leaving just the cooking for the day. Just 30 minutes of easy cooking and you’ll have dinner ready and waiting for you.
Allergy Notes; This meal is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then go ahead and whip up the hummus without the tahini or using nut or seed butters instead.
