You’ve tasted Chummus Bassar–the chummus dish with spiced ground meat–before. But this one is simply the best version.
Editor’s Note: We first tasted Chayale’s Chummus Bassar when she had prepared it for a get together.
We tasted it. It was simply better than any Chummus Bassar we had ever tasted (and we have tasted lots of versions). But we couldn’t nail down why it was so good. What was the difference?
So we asked her for the recipe. And, of course, as expected, she told us, “It’s nothing. It’s Chummus Bassar.”
But it wasn’t nothing so we insisted that she let us come over the next time she was preparing it so we could watch.
And, yes, it wasn’t nothing. We learned lots of techniques while watching her cook–and those small details made all the difference in a dish that is simply the best version of a classic.
One thing she did was season every step of the way, each ingredient received its own touch of salt. The mushrooms got their salt, then the onions did, and the meat got salted after that. Chayale makes her own chummus–but you can use any store-bought chummus for this recipe. But she did tell us something enlightening about making chummus. She said, “When it looks like it’s ready, blend for another 10 minutes.” Ok, we will do!
Now, let’s let Chayale show you how to do it.
Start by sautéing the mushrooms until crispy.
Remove from pan and season.
This touch of mushrooms on top of the meat adds a lot.
In the same pan, add more oil and the onion.
Once it’s translucent, season with salt, pepper, and garlic and add the ground beef.
Add a tablespoon of boiling water to the pan while breaking up the beef.
This helps the meat break down more easily!
Season the meat and sauté a few more minutes.
Serve over your favorite chummus!
Chummus Bassar
Ingredients
- 3-5 baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2-3 tbsp oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- salt and pepper
- 1 – 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp boiling water
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cumin
- chummus, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms in a single layer. Sauté until crispy on both sides. Remove to a paper towel and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- In the same skillet, add remaining oil. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the crushed garlic and stir. Add ground beef and break it up into chunks. Add 1 tbsp boiling water, using a fork to break up the meat while sautéing it. The boiling water helps the meat break down easier.
- Season meat with salt and pepper. Sauté for 6-8 minutes. Season with paprika and cumin.
Sounds delicious! I would love her homemade chummus recipe top!
I love making homemade hummus. Can you share your recipe too? I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you so much for all your wonderful content and recipes!
This looks absolutely delicious!
Can you prepare the meat and mushrooms ahead of time?
Does this freeze well?
Does this freeze well? Thank you
I was making another recipe that my daughter didn’t like because of the color. This one looks amazing and tastes even better. Thank you!
Please share the Chummus recipe!
This was delicious, I really enjoyed! Thank you!
This sounds so yummy! I always wanted to make something like this with lamb!! Any good recipes??
This was delicious! One of the best things I had this yomtov.
wow – amazinggggggg!
Can I make it with ground chicken will it still be good?
This was so so good! I also bought mini pitas and baked them for a few minutes and *muah* was so delish! I will be making this again!