Dubai Veg Platter | Middle Eastern Veg Thali | Falafel, Hummus & Salad by Chef Ajay Chopra

hummus

🥗Healthier: avocado dip

💰Cheaper: bean dip

Avocado dip offers healthy fats while bean dip is budget-friendly.

falafel

🥗Healthier: baked falafel

💰Cheaper: chickpea patties

Baked falafel reduces calories; chickpea patties are less expensive.

pita bread

🥗Healthier: whole grain pita

💰Cheaper: tortillas

Whole grain pita adds fiber; tortillas are often cheaper.

tabbouleh

🥗Healthier: quinoa salad

💰Cheaper: couscous salad

Quinoa salad is higher in protein; couscous is a more economical option.

Soak 3 cups of white chickpeas overnight.

Boil 1.5 cups of soaked chickpeas with enough water and a little salt for 4-5 whistles until soft.

Strain the boiled chickpeas and save the water for later use in hummus.

In a mixer jar, blend the boiled chickpeas with garlic, tahini (sesame paste), yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and cumin powder until smooth, adding reserved chickpea water if needed.

Prepare pickled vegetables by boiling 1/2 liter of water with vinegar, star anise, black peppercorns, bay leaf, coriander seeds, sugar, and salt.

Add hard vegetables like beetroot and green chili first, then add carrot and cucumber, and let it cool to pickle.

For pita bread dough, mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour with a little salt, warm milk mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar and dry yeast, and knead until soft, adding olive oil.

Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm, moist place.

After 1 hour, divide the dough into balls and let them rest for 15-20 minutes covered with a damp cloth.

Roll out the dough balls and cook on a hot skillet, covering with a lid to trap heat for puffing.

Prepare a salad by dicing capsicum, onion, tomato, and cucumber, and soaking iceberg lettuce in ice water to crisp it up.

Make a dressing with juice of half a lemon, pepper, salt, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking it together.

Mix the salad ingredients just before serving to keep them fresh.

For falafel, blend soaked chickpeas with green onion, parsley, mint, salt, cumin powder, and roasted green chilies until coarse, not smooth.

Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and black pepper, and mix well.

Shape the mixture into patties and deep-fry in medium-hot oil until crispy and cooked through.

Serve the platter by arranging hummus, falafel, salad, and pita bread, garnished with olive oil and paprika.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens