Arabic Mezze Platter | Hummus | Mutabbal | Babaganosh | Tabbouleh

I have been planning…actually ‘dreaming’ of making a video on this kind of platter for a long time. I was not even sure if I could do justice to such a beautiful and vibrant looking dips which we usually see in an Arabic restaurant. While clearing my kitchen cupboards, I came across this 5 in 1 ceramic dish lying in a spot that my hands could not reach easily, I mean it was totally out of my sight. I mainly used it to serve nuts and dry fruits to my guests. So now that I had the prop and the plan, there was no reason for me to postpone the video shoot of this healthful, nourishing and refreshing Arabic Mezze Platter. Let me tell you that these are not the only dips and salad found in a typical Mezze platter. Apart from the salads and dips, you can also find starters like Falafel and Kibbeh and not to forget the traditional rice stuffed vine leaves as a part of the Arabic Mezze. All of these are served with Kababs and traditional Pita bread.

The word ‘Mezze’ in the Middle Eastern countries means ‘sharing’ and it is a platter consisting of small portions of appetizers usually served before the main course, what you see here is just a small portion of it. The Arabs, Greeks, Persians, Turkish and other countries in the Mediterranean region are much more generous in serving their meals, so if you happen to visit these restaurants you will be more than happy to see some of the starters being served for free before your actual main course arrives.

Apart from its beautiful and lively presentation, Mezze platter is an ideal spread to be served at parties. The added advantage is that it is quicker and easier to prepare than what it actually seems. If you are planning to go light on your diet or avoid meat for a few days, Mezze can be the perfect meal.

You will find some ingredients used in these recipes that are not very common other than the Middle Eastern countries. One such ingredient is Sumac which is a dried and powdered form of a berry and to get a similar flavor it can be substituted with dried and powdered pomegranate.

You can make your own homemade Tahini by simply dry roasting 1 cup sesame seeds and then grinding to a smooth paste along with some olive oil and salt without adding any water. You can store this in the refrigerator for 3 months.

Burghol or Bulgur is a fine broken wheat. It is so fine that just by soaking it in boiling water for 30 minutes is more than enough. Some people even boil it before adding it to the salad. You can use cooked ‘dalia’ as a substitute.