Raoul from our content team put together this elaborate (yet entirely achievable) Mezze platter that’ll have you going back for seconds. With only a couple hours of prep required, this is a meal that can be enjoyed hot or cold, and will store in the refrigerator for three days easy. Wear your chef’s hat and cook along!
Hummus
You’ll need:
250g dry chickpeas
50ml tahini (optional)
1 lemon
4 small garlic cloves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-4 tbsp water
Salt to taste
Paprika powder
Submerge the chickpeas in a deep pan and soak overnight (at least 6 hours) with lid on. Boil them for about 20 minutes, and then drain, rinse, and set aside; this will remove the skins and aid in a smooth texture when put in a food processor. Combine the tahini, lemon, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and 1/2 tsp salt in a blender and blend intermittently for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add the chickpeas and blend for 30s. Keep adding olive oil and/or water until the consistency is to your liking. Season further with salt and lemon until you’re happy with the taste. Serve with olive oil and a pinch of paprika powder.
Falafel
You’ll need:
250g dry chickpeas
2 roughly chopped onions
2 bunches parsley
6 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbsp chickpea flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 ground cardamom
Vegetable oil (grapeseed or peanut oil)
Submerge the chickpeas in a deep pan and soak overnight (at least 6 hours) with lid on. Boil them for about 20 minutes, and then drain, rinse, and set aside. In a blender, combine chickpeas, chopped onion, garlic, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, coriander, pepper, paprika and cardamom. Pulse together until a coarse mixture forms with a few chunks of chickpeas. Add 2 tbs of water if the mixture is too coarse. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film, and refrigerate for two hours.
Wet your hands before making the falafel. Scoop up a heap of the mixture and gently mould the patties to a size you fancy, and place on baking paper. Ensure all your patties are consistent in size and thickness so they cook evenly. Shallow fry the patties in vegetable oil on a medium flame. The ideal temp for frying is around 370ºF. Place one falafel in the pan to test the heat and cook for around 1-2 mins on each side; the falafel should be a golden-brown when cooked through. Go ahead and fry the falafel in batches without crowding the pan.
Salsa
You’ll need:
8-10 tomatoes
2 bunches parsley
1 bunch coriander
2 lemons
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp zatar
Finely chop the tomatoes, parsley and coriander, and bring together in a mixing bowl with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika and zatar. Mix until fragrant, cover bowl with cling film, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Tzatziki
You’ll need:
2 cucumbers
4-6 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 small cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Chop the ends off the cucumbers and grate. Once grated, squeeze out the excess water. In a bowl, mix the cucumber with yoghurt, olive oil, 1 tsp finely chopped mint, lemon, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix together until fragrant. Let the mixture sit in the fridge without a cover for 5 mins before serving. Top it up with the rest of your mint.
Couscous
You’ll need:
1 cup dry couscous
1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp mixed herb
1 tbsp Zatar
50g Butter
Mix the dry couscous, herbs and zatar in a bowl. Measure the same amount of water as the couscous, and pour boiling water over the dry mixture. Cover immediately with cling film and let it steam for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the film and fluff with a fork until the grains of couscous separate. Add butter and mix together until evenly coated.
Serve with:
Pitta bread with olive oil and butter
Gherkins
A drink of your choice
