Serves 6
Like the classic Middle Eastern dish, hummus bassar—spiced beef–topped hummus—Nachos Bassar is loaded with all of your favorite toppings. Israeli salad takes the place of pico de gallo, Israeli pickles replace pickled jalapeños, and chickpeas replace black beans. It’s all doused in a generous amount of tahini, which rivals any nacho sauce IMHO!
Sumac Onions
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
1½ teaspoons ground sumac
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt to taste
Roasted Chickpeas
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Pita chips
3 pitas
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Spiced Beef
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds ground beef (not lean)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Israeli Salad
1 Persian cucumber, finely diced
1 plum tomato, finely diced
½ small red onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Toppings
6 mini Israeli pickles, sliced into ¼-inch-thick coins
1 recipe Extra-Creamy Tahini
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Optional toppings: black olives, roasted eggplant , Pomegranate Pickled Onions , Smoky Harissa , Schug
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 To prepare the sumac onions: In a small bowl, toss the onions with the sumac, lemon juice, and salt. Allow the onions to soften and pickle for at least 20 minutes before serving or transfer them to an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
3 To prepare the roasted chickpeas: Spread them out on a baking sheet and toss them with the cumin, olive oil, and salt. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during baking, until crispy.
4 To prepare the pita chips: Cut each pita in half horizontally so that you have 6 split full circles. Stack the circles on top of each other and cut into 8 triangles so you have 48 triangles total. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush the parchment paper with olive oil and place the pita, puffy-side down, on the parchment. Brush the tops of the pitas with more olive oil and season with a generous sprinkling of salt. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned and crisp.
5 While the pita is baking, make the beef filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the beef and cook, stirring often and breaking it up with a spoon, for 6 minutes, or until crumbly and no longer pink. Drain the liquid from the pan and return the pan to the stovetop. Add the cumin, paprika, allspice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
6 To make the Israeli salad: In a medium bowl,combine the cucumber, tomato, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir.
7 To serve, arrange two layers of the pita chips, beef, Israeli salad, chickpeas, pickles, Extra-Creamy Tahini , and any other toppings you desire. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.