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Hummus kawarma with lamb and sumac is a luscious, healthy way to change-up your hummus by adding marinated, sautรฉed lamb atop smooth hummus.
This dish of flavorful lamb over hummus is not something new in the Lebanese repertoire; itโs a classic dish, but one that many, in my clan at least, have not had on the table at home. Itโs interesting to me to consider which dishes have remained important, have held on as mainstays, among the long line of our immigrant forbears here in the U.S., and which dishes either never made it or just lost their place along the way. Much of that depends, no doubt, on families and where they came from and whether a mama loved to cook or not (though it doesnโt seem there was much room at a certain time for a Lebanese woman to not love to cook, or at least just to not cook like crazy regardless of how she felt about it…).
Hummus kawarma–hummus smoothed out on a small plate and topped with caramelized, tangy spiced lamb, along with herbs and toasted pine nuts–is so succulent and downright luscious that Iโm hoping to bring it to new prominence around here, and over there where you are too. This will become one of the very best hummus dishes you make, so very next level!
What is hummus kawarma?
Hummus kawarma is the Lebanese name for the dish of hummus topped with highly seasoned sautรฉed chopped lamb. It is incredibly, deeply savory and delicious and one of the finest texture and flavor combinations on the planet! Make the dish as part of a mezze, as a hummus bowl, or serve it as a small meal or main course. Serve Hummus Kawarma with a variety of other mezze dishes, salads such as Fattoush and Tabbouleh in particular are a fresh, light counterpoint. Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi popularized this recipe including it in his cookbook of Middle East deliciousness, Jerusalem. One of the special elements of this dish is the texture of the lamb, which we accomplish by chopping lamb shoulder meat, along with the creamy texture of the hummus. Ground lamb is a fine substitute but this texture facet that is a hallmark of the dish will be missing.
Ingredients
Hummus. As with any recipe that calls for hummus, homemade hummus is extra delicious and beloved for its purity and smoothness. Store-bought plain hummus is perfectly acceptable here if you don’t have time or interest in making your own hummus. Youโll need about ยพ cup per serving.
Remember that peeled chickpeas make the hummus ultra-smooth. Make your own from a can of drained chickpeas softened over medium heat with a tablespoon of baking soda, then remove the peels in a big bowl of water in the sink. Or try my pre-peeled chickpeas here. The other simple hummus ingredients are garlic, lemon juice, salt, and tahini (find a great tahini in my shop). Hold the olive oil until you are ready to serve and eat hummus, rather than blending it in.
Kawarma meat topping uses lamb shoulder meat or beef stew meat.ย The lamb (kawarma) is ideally a tougher cut, like shoulder for stew, that gets a quick marinade for flavor and a little softening, and then a sizzling sautรฉ for deep caramelization. The kawarma gets its flavor from lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon, and sumac.
Finish with toasty pine nuts and fresh herbs for beauty and another layer of fabulous flavor.
Pro Tips for how to make Hummus Kawarma
Chop the meat yourself, into small (1/2- to 1-inch) pieces.
Be sure to marinade the meat to soften it and give it great flavor.
Donโt plate the hummus until just before serving, because it can form a skin and dry out on top.
If using purchased hummus, choose plain hummus so other flavors don’t interfere with the wonderful kawarma.
The best substitute for the lamb shoulder with is an equally chewy cut of beef, such as beef stew meat, to get great kawarma-styleย texture with beefy flavor.ย
You can substitute ground lamb or ground beef for the lamb shoulder. Follow the recipe as is, simply skipping the step of cutting the meat. While that will be really so very delicious, it wonโt be a perfect textural balance that is the hallmark of kawarma. And who doesnโt love perfect??
To make this dish vegetarian, substitute mushrooms or red bell pepper for the lamb. Cut them in small pieces.
Finish the dish with a variety of garnishes, including fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley, pomegranate seeds, oregano leaves, or ground black pepper. Try a spicy version; to give the kawarma some heat, add a chopped green chili either fresh or sautรฉed with the lamb.ย
Don’t have sumac? This spice offers acidity like citrus juice. We already have lemon in the recipe, so a fine substitution for the sumac would be a teaspoon of white wine vinegar.ย
Make Ahead and Storage
To make this dish ahead, store the hummus in an airtight container for up to one week. Before serving, bring the hummus to room temperature. Give the hummus a good stir and add a little liquid (lemon juice or water) to smooth it out if necessary.ย
To make the lamb ahead, cook it all the way through to caramelize and season it. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat the lamb on the stovetop in a sautรฉ pan.ย
Hummus Kawarma Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain hummus
- 1 lb. lamb shoulder meat
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sumac
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup chopped herbs such as mint, cilantro, parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- To make the lamb, cut the lamb shoulder into 1-inch pieces, cutting away excess fat and gristle.
- In a medium bowl, combine the lamb with the lemon juice, minced or grated garlic, salt, and one tablespoon of the sumac. Stir well and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- In a large sautรฉ pan, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Drain the meat and pat it lightly with a paper towel to dry it off so that the meat will brown properly.
- Add the meat to the pan and sautรฉ over high heat until the meat is completely browned and caramelized, 5-10 minutes. Season with the remaining tablespoon of sumac and cinnamon. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Spoon the hummus onto 6 plates and make a well in the center of each with the back of a spoon. Place a spoonful of the lamb on top of each plate, and garnish with pine nuts, herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other ways to serve hummus
Try an incredibly silky and healthy avocado hummus for another hummus twist to love.
Check out all of the ways for various styles of Lebanese Hummus Recipes
A similar dish that makes this a vegetarian take on hummus kawarma is my Hummus with Spicy Red Pepper
โMore Mezze Recipes
Build the ultimate mezze with my Lebanese Mezze Platter ideas
Lebanese Turnip Pickles are a bright, beautiful addition to mezze and all kinds of Lebanese wraps and meals
Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves make a hearty, delicious mezze element, a favorite.
It was perfect the first time. This is very really unique helpful information.I learn so much from you as well! Thank you so much for sharing your helpful information. Keep it up.
Maureen: I made your recipe for hummus kwarma today and it was fantabulous! Thanks for publishing it. I used the peeled chickpeas from your store and the hummus was the best I have ever made. We make a lot of it at our house, I always start with dry chickpeas which I soak overnight and the outcome has always been really good, but with your peeled chickpeas it was just perfect – they made a distinct difference in the smoothness of the hummus. So thanks for having them available. The lamb preparation was also excellent and I topped the dish with the Turkish pine nuts I purchased through your store. They are delicious too. Thank you for having them available to buy.
Wow Michele! What a special note–thanks so much for trying out these wonderful ingredients. I agree, they sure do make a difference. Thank you for taking time to write and for sharing your experience with my recipes and products! Delicious!
Maureen – I finally made this tonight…..I can’t believe I waited this long. The hummus is literally a game changer by peeling the chickpeas. I have to say, I did it the long way today to see what it was like….going forward, I will be a frequent customer on your site for the already peeled, par-cooked chick peas!! thanks for the great tips and recipe.
That is wonderful Holly, thank you!
Made this tonight – a true success. The lamb was to die for! Will make again!
That’s wonderful Elora, thank you!
Great recipe, I actually use lamb fat to sautee the meat, gives it such a good flavor. On another note, I would rather support Lebanese owned hummus brands such as Hannah or Cedar’s. Whereas Sabra is not.
Hi Maureen,
I just stumbled across your site when looking for a falafel recipe, what a lovely website! I will definitely be saving this to my favorites, thank you. I live in Spain and haven’t started looking for sumac yet (just found this recipe, which I know my husband will LOVE) but it’s very possible I won’t find any- do you have any suggestions for any alternative spices? There is a good Indian shop across the border in Gibraltar and I might get lucky there but not too sure of my chances.
Many thanks from a fellow Michiganian far from home!
Hello from Michigan Aimee! Thanks so much for your comment. Sumac is such a special flavor and product that there isn’t a great substitute. Paprika mimics the look, but not the flavor. Lemon juice or crystals mimic the flavor, but not the look… You can find sumac online, too. Please let me know if you find any near you in Spain!! And so glad to know you and your husband will be enjoying these recipes together!
Thanks Maureen! Went to the Indian shop yesterday and no luck… found a lamb spice mix that looks good though so will give that a try. The falafel recipe was delicious, by the way, and the hummus, I’ll never leave the skin on the chickpeas again! My husband was VERY impressed, thanks!
Hi Maureen! I wanted to make hummus soon using one of your recipes. Which one do you prefer? The recipe for your hummus that you have here, or the recipe you have using yogurt? If you do prefer yogurt, which yogurt would you suggest (ie. greek yogurt, nonfat greek yogurt, fat-free plain yogurt, regular fat plain yogurt, etc)? Thank you!
Hi Nadia–if you can get the peeled chickpeas, I recommend using those with this recipe. If not, make the other recipe using yogurt. Plain whole milk yogurt is ideal; thick greek yogurt will work as well, just add a little more liquid as needed for smoothness (water or lemon juice). Enjoy!
Thank you! I made the hummus with the yogurt today and it turned out wonderfully! My husband (who is Lebanese and super picky about his hummus) absolutely loved it and said it was better than his aunts and most restaurants! Thank you for this delicious recipe. For future reference, is there a particular brand of tahini you prefer?
I’m so glad to hear it! See this on the tahini brand!
That looks so good. It reminds me of an ( appetizer; like a small meal ) that I always ordered at a restaurant named Grape Leaves in Riverside , Ca.( now called Babylon) a bowl of Hummus with lamb shawarma . They even have an oven that bakes Fresh Pita bread in 2 mins. I’m excited about making your lamb recipe. Sean Abass
Maureen, we’ve had hummus the last couple of days and only yesterday were talking about hummus with mince and pine nuts. you must have been reading our mind. lovely recipe, will give it a try. interesting what you say about dishes that have stayed and those disappeared. Maybe a discussion for another day . we’re from Ehden in north lebanon and at home we would have stuffed tripe regularly. now rarely seen
This looks wonderful and I will be trying it, thank you!! I am also wondering about the dishes (I followed some links to another post about the dishes :-). Are these the antique ones you collect? Do you know the maker? They’re so gorgeous….they look like flow ware…and perfect for the food.
Oh Jane, thank you…yes, those are antique dishes my mother found–she always finds the good stuff. One has nothing on the bottom, the other just says England and I do think it is flow blue. Gems!
My favorite mezza. Miam. Thanks for sharing.
My mouth started watering the moment I saw the title of this post! I have never thought of topping hummus with meat (especially my favorite, lamb), but I love the idea.