During my trip to Dubai, I had one thing more than clear, I had to indulge in the local delicacies and in that endeavour, I found myself eating hummus a bit more than often. Almost every Levantine restaurant in the city has a basket of saj breads lying on it, breads enticing enough for you to call for the famed chickpea condiment, even if you aren’t particularly craving it. Hummus may be of middle-eastern origins, but it has managed to create a sensation worldwide. It is a thick, smooth mixture of boiled chickpeas that have been mashed and blended with sesame seeds(tahini), olive oil and lemon juice. You can spruce up hummus in many ways add grilled chicken or charred peppers, but have you ever thought of combining it with paneer bhurji? Now do not be so shocked, for we have all tried adding paneer almost everywhere, from starters to mains to desserts. Our humble cottage cheese is so versatile after all. Hummus, too is quite noted for its versatility, which is perhaps why it is served with shawarma, grills and sometimes even on its own as a delicacy. Combining the two that too in a sandwich could actually be an incredible breakfast idea.
What Makes The Combination Of Chickpeas And Paneer So Special?
It is not for nothing that breakfast is also often dubbed as the most important meal of the day. It is the first meal you take after a gap of almost 8-10 hours, so in a way, you are actually ‘breaking’ a ‘fast’ of all these hours, when your body was in a resting mode. It helps kickstart your metabolism, infuses the much-needed energy your body needs and keeps you away from noshing into anything random you set your eyes on before lunch. This is why, it is always essential that you make your breakfast, wholesome, nutritious and satiating. It is good practice to add a lot of protein to the meal as well. The building block of life, protein, helps induce a satiating feeling. It apparently, takes a while to digest protein, which helps keep you fuller for a longer time. Protein also helps build muscle, so for those who are trying to lose fat and gain muscle, you must look for good source of protein, and both paneer and chickpeas come loaded with it. These are good, reliable, non-animal sources of protein that you can have every day in fact.
After you have made the hummus, you have to make the paneer mixture. For this you need to add capsicum, olive oil and onion to a pan. Sautee it on low heat for a while, then add the red chilli powder, grated paneer and mint leaves, sautee well. Take out the mixture once it is well combined. Grease the grilling pan, place your multi-grain bread on the pan and spread the hummus, then add this delicious masala on top, place another slice of bread on top, and grill till it is done.
Here’s the complete recipe you can follow to make this yummy sandwich. Do let us know how you liked it.