Pomegranate & Proso Millet Hummus with Meatball Kofetah
A dish designed to dazzle!
Chef Nimish Bhatia
This is a dish inspired to dazzle the senses, tastebuds,
(savoury, sweet, stringent, tangy and Umami) and can be served to vegans, or even to meat lovers as an appetizer or an accompaniment. Millets mimic the chickpeas in this creamy humus and the tangy pomegranate tantalizes the tastebuds.
Prep time 30 mins / Cooking time 60 mins / Serves 4
Ingredients
For Proso Millet Hummus:
1. Proso Millet Soaked Overnight 300 grams
2. Tahina Paste 200 grams
3. Garlic 6 Cloves
4. Lemon Juice 90 ml
5. Roasted Beetroot Puree 50 grams
6. Pomegranate Puree 100 grams
7. Pomegranate Molasses 50 Grams
8. Salt 4 grams
9. Pepper 2 grams
10. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 120 ml
11. Ice Cubes 4-5 cubes
For Meatball Kofteh:
1. Lamb fine fatty mince 160 grams
2. Grated onions 20 grams
3. Chopped parsley leaves 5 grams
4. Chopped mint 4 grams
5. Egg yolk 1
6. Sumac Powder 3 grams
7. Seasoning to taste
For Garnish:
8. Sliced onions 120 grams
9. Chopped Parsley leaves 20 grams
10. Sumac powder 10 grams
11. Seasoning 5 grams
12. EV Olive oil 30 ml
13. Micro herbs
14. Edible flowers
Method
1. Cook the proso millet until well done & tender. Allow it to cool down and strain the excess water. 2. Now for the beetroot puree, cook the peeled beetroot in the oven basting with some oil for 25 minutes and puree it. Strain this once done.
3. In a blender add the cooked proso millets, Tahina, Beetroot paste, Pomegranate puree, EV Olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and blend it smoothly. Add the lemon juice and blend once again. If the hummus is runny add the ice cubes and it will be creamy.
4. For the meatballs, in a bowl put all the ingredients listed for it and rub nicely with your hands.
5. Make small balls ( in an egg shape).
6. Dip the balls in oil and put them in the preheated oven to 180-degree celsius, for 12 minutes.
Assembly
1. Divide the hummus into four different parts, check for the seasoning and put this into four different bowls.
2. Top/drizzle this with pomegranate molasses, which will cut all the bitterness of the millet and find a very good balance on the palate.
3. Put meatballs on top, and drizzle some oil to keep these moist.
4. Garnish using an edible flower, some thin slices of onions rubbed with sumac, and some micro-herbs. Optionally you can also use a lavash as I have done in the picture to make it look good and also add to the texture whilst eating this creamy hummus. This can be done with regular flour or even millet (knead finger millet flour with warm water and seasoning, also a little sugar and fat, roll it thin and cut the shape you wish to and bake it crisp ). The best accompaniment is toasted pita bread.
Note: This can also be served vegan or vegetarian if served without meatballs.
The Chef
"Millets are great. They are some of the finest condensed sources of nutrients. They ace the game of moderation-eating thanks to the ability to satiate early, making them perfect additions to the wellness menu. I believe this development and raising awareness is like manna from heaven; a sound solution and a sensible start to planet-friendly sustainable practices. Eventually, this trend will lead us to the path ahead for millet supremacy as a grain in our food system. Time will prove that this will be a part of culinary celebration not just for the culinary anthropologist chef in awe, but a lesson for many."
Make sure to connect and keep up with Chef Nimish on Instagram.
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