Hamshuka

This is a wonderfully spiced flavorsome dish that everyone should try making at home! Hamshuka is a simple dish of spiced Ground Lamb that is topped over a creamy Hummus. The Lamb is seasoned with a rich spice blend of Cumin, Coriander, Paprika, and Cinnamon and is further flavored with the inclusion of Harissa. It’s flavors are big and bold and pair perfectly with the fattiness of the Lamb. Topped over Hummus makes for a hearty starter. Pair it with some Bread and you’ve got a fantastic dinner that is hearty and delicious!

The real star of the dish is the Lamb

Ground Lamb is often overlooked as a choice for home cooking, but it shouldn’t be. Generally speaking, you will get a lot more flavor out of Ground Lamb than you would Beef, Chicken, or Pork. That is because the fat content in Ground Lamb is particularly high. As any good cook knows, fat equals flavor! This high fat content translates to the most wonderfully rich flavor in the Lamb

It is cooked in the same way as you would any other ground meat. Simply pan fry it for about 10 – 12 minutes until browned and broken up. The fat of the Ground Lamb will render out and flavor the dish, allowing the Lamb to absorb all those delicious spices that are added to the Hamshuka

What spices are added to the Hamshuka?

The traditional blend of spices in Hamshuka consist of Cumin, Coriander Powder, Smoked Paprika, and Cinnamon. This delicious blend of flavors gives the Lamb its unique taste. They provide the dish with sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy flavor profiles which are so synonymous with flavors of the Middle East

Adding to the spicy, smokiness of the dish is the inclusion of Harissa Paste. Harissa Paste is a mixture of similar spices we’ve added to the dish (eg: Cumin and Coriander) but also includes Chilis and Peppers. It has a smooth consistency and, when combined to the dish with Tomato Paste, gives the dish its silky smooth texture while adding richness to the flavor

The spices are all commonly available at most grocery stores these days. I doubt you will need to hunt them down at specialty grocery stores, as they should all be available in the spice section and / or International section at the store

Add homemade Stock for the best result

Once the Lamb has been cooked down along with the spices, Stock is added to the dish. The stock is then cooked down for about 10 – 15 minutes which gives the Hamshuka its rich, luscious texture and flavor

If you can, I highly recommend you use homemade Stock for the best result. There are a load of different homemade stocks you can use in this dish, but for the best result we recommend making our Lamb Stock recipe. I always recommend using stock of the same protein you plan on cooking with. It will only serve to enhance the flavor of the protein you are using, in this case Lamb

Making homemade Lamb Stock is easy, and it can be frozen into measured portions and saved for months. Whenever you’re enjoying Lamb Roasts (such as our epic 10 hour Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder) save the bones. They can be cooked down with aromatics and Water to create the most amazing Stock

If you don’t have Lamb Stock, you can substitute it for Beef Stock. Beef Stock is more common, and we’ve got some great Beef Stock recipes here that you can use. If you don’t have any homemade Stock you can use Stock Cubes. The flavor won’t be as intense, but they will do the job if needed!

For this simple Hamshuka recipe, there’s no need to make your own Hummus

The star of the show in this Hamshuka dish is the delicious ground Lamb, rich in flavor and spices. While Hummus is another critical ingredient in the dish, we recommend simply buying some good quality Hummus from the store. If you’re lucky enough to live near a good quality restaurant that makes their own Hummus, you can always order straight from them and use that

Hummus keeps great in the refrigerator, so you can purchase it and store it for a few days prior to making this dish. This recipe is about simplicity, and honestly, the store bought stuff can taste just as good as homemade, but without the fuss!

If you do want to make homemade Hummus, it is also quite easy to do. Simply combine 400g of Chickpeas (that have been soaked in water), ¼ cup of Soaking Water, ¼ cup of Tahini, ¼ cup of Lemon Juice, 2 Garlic Cloves, and 2 tsp. of Olive Oil in a Blender. Give it a blend until it’s smooth and it’s done

I’ve found preparing Chickpeas to be a bit of a hassle, hence why simply going for the store bought Hummus is a more than suitable alternative. However, you want to prepare the Hummus, just ensure you have amply quantities of it to soak up that beautiful, flavored Lamb!

For the best results, serve this delicious Hamshuka with a side of homemade Flatbread

This dish is very ‘dippable’, so you’ll need a vessel to hold all these wonderful flavors in place. There’s no better bread to pair with Hamshuka than homemade Za’atar Flatbreads. Beautifully spiced Flatbreads that are loaded with flavor and take no time at all to make. We’ve got an amazing recipe for Za’atar Flatbread here that we recommend you check out

Whip up a big batch of flatbread and serve them piping hot along with the Hamshuka for an amazing meal. People can simply tear away a piece of Bread and load it up with a combination of Lamb and Hummus for the perfect bite!

Hamshuka Recipe

Ingredients

• 14 oz. / 400g Ground Lamb
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 1 Brown Onion, finely diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, diced
• ½ cup Lamb Stock (recipe here)
• 1 tbsp. Harissa Paste
• ¼ cup Tomato Paste
• 2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp. Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp. Ground Coriander
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• Zest of ½ a Lemon
• ¼ cup Mint, roughly chopped
• Salt
• 2 cups of Hummus
• Flatbread to serve on the side (recipe here)
  
  

Instructions

1. Heat Olive Oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the Onions and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Add Garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove Onions from pan
2. Increase the pan heat to medium high then add the Ground Lamb. Cook for 10 minutes while stirring to break it all up. Once browned, return the Onion mixture along with Tomato Paste, Harissa, and the spices
3. Stir for 5 minutes, then add Lamb Stock and bring to a simmer. Season with 1 tsp. of Salt, drop the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. To serve, spread a generous proportion of Hummus on a plate. Top with the Lamb mixture and garnish with Parsley, Lemon Zest, and Sesame Seeds
   
   

Recipe Notes

• If you prefer you can make your own Hummus, we found that good quality store bought Hummus works great, as the star of the show is that wonderful Lamb
• You can replace the Lamb Stock with Beef Stock
  
  

This simple Hamshuka recipe will be a crowd pleaser and we’re certain it will make its way onto regular rotation for dinners in your household. The rich flavors are so unique, and so tasty!

If you enjoy this fun recipe then you’re in luck! We’ve got loads more dishes that are inspired by middle eastern cooking here at Dinnertime Somewhere. Here are a few of our favorites that we recommend you check out:

• Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops with Tabbouleh
• Spiced Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb
• Tabbouleh Salad with Couscous
• Spicy Harissa Shakshuka
  
  

Happy Cooking!