Lebanese Hamburger with Hummus and Tahini Chilli Sauce

With the addition of cracked barley and a little corriander and spices.to transform a simple lamb burger.This bread is brilliant straight from the barbecue and is usually demolished in seconds, so make plenty. They are ideally cooked when the barbecue is still hot, as they need only a couple of minutes.

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4 Portions
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Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Burgers

  • 600g lamb mince
  • 80g cracked barley
  • 1 onion minced or very finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • pinch cinnamon, ground
  • pinch mixed spice
  • pinch paprika
  • 4 tbsp corriander , finely chopped
  • zest of half a lemon
  • 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • maldon salt and freshly ground peper

Hummus

  • 400g canned chickpea
  • 2 tbsp. of tahini
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Tahini Chilli Sauce

  • 150g tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 100ml water
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 9-12 oval shaped pita bread (medium)
  • 1 tbsp. Chinese chili oil (available from most Chinese food stores)
  • Or 1 tbsp. peanut or olive oil with 1 tsp. of pimento (smoked paprika) or plain paprika
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Maldon Salt and Pepper

Method

Burger
  1. Place the cracked barley in a bowl and pour boiling water over it so that it is just covered. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it ot stand for 10 minutes. Then strain the barley and so that it is dry and set it aside to cool.
  2. Place the mince in a large bowl with all the burger ingredients including the barle and season it with a little salt and pepper. With very clean hands or a wooden spoon mix the ingredients well so that they are well combined and distributed. Using your hands shape the mince into four burgers and place them on a lightly oiled pate. Cover them with cling film and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Hummus
  1. Place the first 5 ingredients with only a pinch of salt in a food processor or mortar and pestle and blend until you have a thick and smooth mixture. You may need to add a little more lemon juice or water and salt to taste. Serve or place in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip will last up to 5 days.
Tahini and Chilli Sauce
  1. Place the garlic, chilli and tahini in a food processor or bowl with a pinch of salt mix or blend until combined.
  2. Mix the lemon juice and water together in a pouring container. Gradually add this to the tahini while you have the food processor running or mixing, until you have a thick sauce consistency. . Serve or place in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pita Bread
  1. Slice the pita bread in half diagonally across.
  2. Mix the oils together with a little salt and pepper in a container large enough to hold the bread.
  3. Place the bread in thecontainer with the oil and toss it in the oil. The bread should all be covered in oil but not saturated. If you need to add a little more oil or pour a little off.
  4. When your barbecues is hot place the bread on carefully and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side (this is dependent on temperature of your barbecue). The bread should have distinct grill marks and be hot. This step can also be done in a very hot grill pan or under a grill. Keep the bread warm until ready to serve.
To Cook The Burgers
  1. Coat the burgers in a little olive oil and place them on a moderatly hot barbecue or grill pan or under a hot grill. Cook the burgers for 5-7 minutes on each sides (dependant on their thickness). They should be brown and cooked through. Keep them warm until ready to Serve.
  2. To Serve: Place 1 slice of pita bread on each plate. Place the cucumber and tomato slices on the bread and top then the burgers. Place a generous spoonful of the hummus on each burger and sprinkle a little paprika on it. Place a few onion slices on the hummus with a few extra mint leaves. Drizzle the tanini and chilli sauce over the burger and scatter a few pine nuts over the top. Lean the secon d slice o f pita bread on the burger and serve.