Arabic dips and purees – basics

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 100 g sesame paste (tahina)
• 1 lemon(s)
• 50 ml olive oil
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• Salt
• Paprika powder
• cumin
• 200 g eggplant(s), chickpeas, potatoes, broad beans…
• Water, as needed

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

for hummus – baba ghanoush – ful – mashed potatoes

Many Arabic dishes can be made with this base: Mix tahini (sesame paste), juice of one lemon, half the olive oil, and garlic pounded with salt. Stir in the respective ingredient (see below). Drizzle the dish with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and cumin. The quantities given here are rough estimates because I always go by feel. It shouldn’t be too runny or too thick. If you’re unsure, start with a little less tahini and then add it gradually so it doesn’t get too runny. If, on the other hand, it stays too thick, a little water helps. – For hummus: pureed chickpeas (you can make them yourself, but you can also buy them ready-made in a can) – For baba ghanoush: pureed eggplant (like the chickpeas, make them yourself or buy them in a can) Instructions for DIYers: Soak the chickpeas overnight, cook until soft, then puree or mash them. Pierce the eggplant and bake in the oven until it is almost black on the outside. Purée or mash the flesh. – For mashed potatoes: mashed potatoes (this is not classic Arabic, but tastes good too) – For ful: mashed broad beans (broad beans, you can get them in cans with different seasonings) Hummus and baba ghanoush, but also mashed potatoes, are delicious dipped in bread as a starter, and also good with fries and chicken. Always eat everything together: wrap fries and meat in a piece of Arabic bread and enjoy with plenty of dip, with salad! Ful is a typical Lebanese breakfast, but you can of course eat it at other times of day if (like me…) you can’t get any beans down in the morning. The preparation and cooking times depend on which dish you are preparing and how much of it you do yourself.