Hummus with baharat spiced beef

A delicious Middle Eastern spice mix elevates this hummus to new levels of deliciousness.
Hummus with baharat spiced beef - recipe / A kitchen in Istanbul
Hummus with baharat spiced beef - recipe / A kitchen in Istanbul

Hummus is more than just a dip. It’s also the perfect vehicle for anything spiced and tasty. This hummus with baharat spiced beef is one of my favourites.

I could talk for forever about the cultural importance of hummus in the Middle East, among British students or in radical movements of the past – and probably many other places too. But this post has a more practical purpose: In addition to being an incredibly good dip, hummus is the perfect base for a full meal.

When making hummus, I always double up. This way, I have enough for dinner – and lots left over for breakfast, as an energiser before work-out or as a late-evening snack for the next couple of days.

What is baharat spice?

This is my favourite substantial hummus variation at the moment: my silky smooth hummus topped with warming and slightly exotic minced beef on top. Perhaps with pita and a salad on the side to provide a little more variation in texture and flavour. But really, nothing else is needed.

I’ve called this hummus with baharat spiced beef. Baharat is arabic for spice. The Turks have also adopted the word, using it both to mean spice and spice mix.

Any shop selling Middle Eastern spices will surely have at least one spice mix labelled baharat, though what’s inside is never easy to know: there is no standard. Usually, cumin, allspice and coriander seeds are included, but so are at least 3-4 other spices which may vary.

I usually don’t buy spice mixes. Making it yourself is very easy, and it means you can adapt to your mood of the day. Because even though the amount of spices may look a lot, they are actually familiar ones most people with a slight interest in food will keep in their spice racks. And if you don’t have all of them, I recommend nothing less than going out and buying them – and learning how to use them!

My version is warming and slightly spicy, courtesy of the chili, ginger and cinnamon. Just perfect for autumn. The mince takes on a deliciously exotic flavour without any one spice (or even the total) being overpowering. Together with creamy hummus this is proper comfort food. So dig in!

Want to try another flavour? See also Hummus with spiced lamb & pomegranate.

The recipe serves 2-4, depending on what else is on offer.

Hummus with baharat spiced beef - recipe / A kitchen in Istanbul

Hummus with baharat spiced beef

A delicious Middle Eastern spice mix elevates this hummus to new levels of deliciousness.
Tried this? Be the first to give a rating
Main Course, Meze
Middle Eastern food
20 minutes
4 servings
Save Pin Print

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 25 g pine nuts
  • 500 g minced beef, or lamb, or a mixture
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 3 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, without thick stalks, plus extra to garnish
  • 5 large leaves mint, finely sliced
  • 1 portion hummus
  • salt

Baharat spice mix

  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper), to taste
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom

How I make it

  • Make the spice mix by mixing all of the baharat spice mix ingredients.
  • Fry the pine nuts in the olive oil in a large, thick bottomed frying pan over medium heat while stirring constantly until starting to brown, 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the minced beef and spice mix. Continue frying while chopping the meat into tiny pieces until the meat is nicely browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the butter and flat-leaf parsley and continue frying for another couple of minutes.
  • Add the hummus to a large or several small plates. Top with the baharat spiced beef, the fresh mint and a little extra flat-leaf parsley.

Tips & notes

You can prepare the hummus in advance and store in the fridge; take it out at least 30 minutes before eating, if you can, to allow the hummus to come back to room temperature.

Hey, there!

I’m Vidar, a Norwegian food writer based in Istanbul since 2015.

Join me in exploring the food and cultures of Turkey and the Middle East.

Vidar Bergum on the front porch of his home, drinking tea, with a street cat eating something on the street in front of him

Let's explore the foods & cultures of Turkey and the Middle East together.

Join 5,000+ subscribers
Foto: Bahar Kitapcı

Hey, there!

I’m Vidar Bergum, a food writer based in Istanbul since 2015. I’ve published three books on the food and cultures of Turkey and the Middle East in my native Norway.

This website and my newsletter Meze are the homes of my writing and recipes in English.

Decorative tile in Turkish colours

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating




New comments are moderated and may take a few days to publish.

Exploring the food and cultures of Turkey, the Middle East & beyond.