Easy Eats Recipe: Spiced lamb mince with hummus and flatbreads

Serves 4

Here's a meal full of crowd-pleasing flavours that’s perfect for weeknights. For an even quicker version, use store-bought hummus - though you’ll be rewarded if you make your own. Fresh hummus is worth the effort.

Ingredients

For the spiced mince:

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp smoked paprika

Zest of 1 lemon

450-500g lamb mince (could also use beef)

1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari

Oil for sautéing

For the hummus:

1 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp hulled tahini

¼ cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 small garlic clove (optional)

Water as needed to thin to desired consistency (3-5 Tbsp)

Salt and cracked black pepper

To serve:

Flatbreads or pita breads

Salad ingredients as desired: avocado chunks, sliced red onion, salad greens,  grated carrot, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber

Method

Heat a glug of oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute 1-2 minutes.

Add the spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the lamb mince and lemon zest, raising the heat to high. Break up the mince with a spatula and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until browned. Add the soy sauce and cook for 1 further minute. Season generously. Remove from the heat.

Combine all the hummus ingredients in a blender or food processor (or use a stick blender) to blitz until smooth. Add water as needed to achieve a creamy, spreadable consistency. Season well.

Heat the pita breads in a dry skillet until warm and lightly toasted on both sides.

Spread the bread with a generous layer of hummus and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the lamb mince. Finish with the fresh salad ingredients piled on top. Serve immediately.

 

Kelly Gibney is an Auckland-based food writer, photographer and cookbook author. Her latest book ENJOY: Food worth sharing with the people you love shares delicious and achievable ideas for making every meal memorable. She also shares weekly recipes via her newsletter.