Mezze Platter – The ultimate Mediterranean appetizers to feed the crowd with elegance and minimal effort.
- What is a Mezze Platter?
- My Tried and True Tips
- Vegetarian Mezze Platter Guide
- Vegetarian Mezze Platter
What’s your favourite party platter? Mine is this Meditteranean style mezze platter loaded with hummus, dips, chips, veggie sticks, cheese, falafel, olives, and figs. This easy-to-refill appetizer platter is always a crowd favourite and gives me time to shake a leg or two while hosting the party.
What is a Mezze Platter?
The word ‘Mezze’ literally means sharing . Hence, the purpose of a mezze platter is to have shareable appetizers on the table – an important aspect of Arabic and Middle Eastern cuisine. A Mediterranean appetizer platter is an assortment of several Middle Eastern bite-size snacks served on one platter.
A mezze platter can be both vegetarian or meat-based ( with kebabs, meat skewers, or roasted chicken ), depending on personal preference.
Most mezze platters contain popular appetizers like hummus, tabbouleh, feta cheese, olives, pita, or any other bite-size bread, crackers , and one or two Mediterranean dips.
My Tried and True Tips
Here’s what you need to keep in mind while creating a Mezze platter:
Will it be Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian? The choice depends on the people you are serving the snacks to. If it’s a mixed crowd or if you’re unsure of preferences, it’s recommended to go for a vegetarian mezze platter. Since the appetizers are served on a single platter, vegetarians may not feel comfortable eating from the same tray in which meat is also served.
How Many Snacks : The idea of a snacks platter is to serve easy-to-eat finger food. It is not the display of your cooking skill. So try not to over-crowd the platter. One or two fulfilling snacks like falafel/kebab accompanied by dips, munchies, and fresh cheese/veggies is good enough.
Selection of Snacks: Try to serve snacks that complement each other. Like hummus with crackers. Soft cheese with marinated olives or fresh fruits. It is essential to have harmony among the various dishes on a mezze platter. Also, include snacks that are easy to eat (non-drippy, not huge pieces that become embarrassing to tear or require cutlery) .
Keep it non-greasy: Nobody likes the sight of a calorie-loaded appetizer platter. Hence, it is crucial to keep your snack platter a bit refreshing and non-greasy. Try to include minimal deep-fried snacks, that too accompanied by loads of fresh produce such as – fruits, veggie sticks, cheese, olives, and a cooling dip.
Vegetarian Mezze Platter Guide
Here is my complete guide to building a perfect vegetarian mezze platter at home without breaking a sweat or hours of planning.
Falafel: The chickpea falafel is an essential snack on an authentic mezze platter. You can add other kinds of fulfilling nibbles such as mixed veg cutlets , kebab , cheese balls , soya kebabs , or grilled paneer tikka to this platter.
Hummus: No mezze platter is complete without a creamy hummus . Try to introduce flavor and color to the mezze platter with avocado hummus and beetroot hummus .
Dips: Apart from hummus, I like to add baba ganoush , roasted red pepper dip ( muhammara ), tzatziki , or tomato salsa to my mezze platter for extra dipping sauce.
Marinated Olives: I love olives, and for me, they are a must-have item in any Mediterranean appetizer platter. The olives do not necessarily have to be marinated. The ones soaked in brine solutions work fine too.
Crackers: From crispy pita bread, and lavash to cheese crackers or any readymade munchy that has a nice crunch to it is perfect for this party platter. These can be easily purchased from the nearby bakery or supermarket.
Veggie Sticks and Fresh Fruits: Bite-sized and easy-to-dip sticks of crunchy, fresh vegetables and fruits give so much freshness to the platter. Some options are cucumbers, carrots, radish, cherry tomato, green and red bell peppers (served raw), or grilled veggies like herb potatoes , roasted carrots , stir fried broccoli , sweet potato fries, etc. Some of the fruits that taste best on a platter like – figs, red seedless grapes, black grapes, strawberries, cantaloupes, or watermelon.
Tabbouleh: This Mediterranean Couscous Salad is – fresh, vibrant, and vegan. Bursting with colours, textures, and flavours, this vegan salad is a testament to the fresh flavours and wholesome ingredients that define Mediterranean cuisine.
Cheese & Nuts: A non-crumbly soft cheese cut into the bite-size, and a choice of assorted dry fruits or nuts will give your snacks platter an edge. The dry fruits that taste good in a mezze platter are – dried figs, apricots, salted cashews, sweet dates, or toasted hazelnuts .
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Ingredients
- ▢ 6 – 8 falafel ( see recipe here )
- ▢ 1 bowl chickpea hummus ( see recipe here )
- ▢ 1 bowl roasted red pepper dip ( see recipe here )
- ▢ 1 bowl couscous salad ( see recipe here )
- ▢ 2 medium-size cucumber, cut into sticks
- ▢ 2 medium-size carrot, cut into sticks
- ▢ 1 Cup black and green marinated olives
- ▢ 200 gram feta cheese cut into cubes
- ▢ 5 – 6 fresh figs cut into halves
- ▢ Pita chips or crackers of your choice
Instructions
- Prepare both the dips few hours before the party and keep in the fridge.
- Next, prepare the mixture for falafel, shape them, arrange in a plate and keep in the fridge until ready to deep-fry.
- Meanwhile, arrange the remaining elements in a large, serving platter except for nuts and keep that as well in the fridge.
- Before serving, heat oil in a frying pan for falafel. Fry them in small batches and transfer to a plate lined with an oil absorbent paper.
- Arrange prepared dips, falafel and assorted dry fruits in the mezze platter.
- Enjoy mezze platter with friends and family!
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Vegetarian Mezze Platter
Ingredients
- 6 - 8 falafel ( see recipe here )
- 1 bowl chickpea hummus ( see recipe here )
- 1 bowl roasted red pepper dip ( see recipe here )
- 1 bowl couscous salad ( see recipe here )
- 2 medium-size cucumber, cut into sticks
- 2 medium-size carrot, cut into sticks
- 1 Cup black and green marinated olives
- 200 gram feta cheese cut into cubes
- 5 - 6 fresh figs cut into halves
- Pita chips or crackers of your choice
Instructions
- Prepare both the dips few hours before the party and keep in the fridge.
- Next, prepare the mixture for falafel, shape them, arrange in a plate and keep in the fridge until ready to deep-fry.
- Meanwhile, arrange the remaining elements in a large, serving platter except for nuts and keep that as well in the fridge.
- Before serving, heat oil in a frying pan for falafel. Fry them in small batches and transfer to a plate lined with an oil absorbent paper.
- Arrange prepared dips, falafel and assorted dry fruits in the mezze platter.
- Enjoy mezze platter with friends and family!
This is a light, airy, eggless chocolate mousse recipe that require only 5 ingredients. No baking, no gelatin, or hours of whisking.
- Eggless (Egg-Free) Mousse
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Hina’s Tried and True Tips
- Watch Chocolate Mousse Video
- Eggless Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Mousse is a classic Italian dessert. The traditional mousse recipe revolves around – eggs, chocolate, sugar, cream, and sugar. A perfect chocolate mouse is light and airy yet creamy and decadent.
Eggless (Egg-Free) Mousse
Many mousse lovers are allergic to eggs or avoid eggs for specific reasons. Hence the eggless chocolate mousse recipe came into existence. And over the years, this egg-free mousse became quite popular because:
- easy process
- perfect texture
- no gelatin or china-grass
- only 5 ingredients required
- meal prep friendly dessert
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chocolate – Good quality dark chocolate is the best to make the mousse. Avoid using milk chocolates or confectionery chocolates . The quality of the chocolate defines the colour, taste, and texture of the mousse. I prefer unsweetened 70% – 80% dark chocolate for baking or making desserts. Semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate works well too.
- Cream – You need a heavy whipping cream for making the mousse.
- Coffee – You need a strong instant coffee powder. If coffee steeping is too much for you, use brewed coffee as we did for Vietnamese coffee or the espresso.
- Sugar – Caster sugar or powdered white sugar is the best to combine with the cream while whipping it. Granulated sugar will not dissolve in the cream.
- Water – To steep the instant coffee powder. Skip it if using espresso or filter coffee decoction.
Hina’s Tried and True Tips
- Chocolate : Do not heat the chocolate for too long in the microwave. It will get spoiled. Make sure the melted chocolate is not hot while mixing in the cream. It should be at room temperature.
- Cream – Use only heavy whipping cream for making the mousse. In India, I have tried making this eggless chocolate mousse with Mother Dairy and D’lecta Cream, and the result was satisfying. Please avoid using low-fat creams like Amul for making chocolate mousse.
- Ensure the cream and the mixing bowl are chilled or cold to the touch before whipping. During the summer season, keep the bowl and the whisk attachment in the fridge for a few minutes before whipping the cream. This reduces the whipping time.
- Do not whip the cream for too long . We need only soft peaks like soft-serve ice cream and not stiff peaks. Chocolate will not mix properly in the stiff cream.
- After adding the melted chocolate, do not whisk or mix the cream for too long. Else it will deflate and become liquid. Use the cut-and-fold method with minimal force.
- Adding coffee is optional in this recipe. You can skip this step. But make sure not to add too much liquid coffee to the chocolate. They will not mix properly.
- Consistency : The chocolate mousse is all about the light, airy texture. Hence, follow the ingredient measurements and the tips/tricks strictly.
Watch Chocolate Mousse Video
Would you like to explore a few more eggless desserts? Try this moist Chocolate Cake , Cafe Style Eggless Brownies , or the sugar free Eggless Date Nut Bread .
Ingredients
- ▢ 200 gram dark chocolate or semi sweet dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon instant coffee
- ▢ 1 – 2 tablespoon hot water
- ▢ 500 ml heavy whipping cream
- ▢ 2 tablespoon caster sugar or powdered sugar
Ingredients For Crumble:
- ▢ 5 – 6 slices chocolate cake
Instructions
- Start with steeping coffee. Combine instant coffee with hot water. Mix, cover, and set aside to steep. You can use a tablespoon of filter coffee decoction or espresso coffee.
- Prepare a double boiler. Heat a cup of water in a saucepan. Place bowl with chopped chocolate on top of the saucepan ( refer video for tutorial ). Continuously, stir the chocolate to melt. Turn off the heat once the chocolate is 50% melted. Continue stirring until choclate is silky smooth.
- Add steeped coffee. Stir to combine for 1 minute. Set aside melted chocolate to cool down at room temperature.
- Combine whipping cream and sugar in a bowl. Whip the heavy cream using a hand mixer till soft peaks form.
- Add the cooled down melted chocolate in the whipped cream. Gently cut and fold to mix. Do not whisk the cream with too much force as it will deflate.
- Crumble a chocolate cake using a fork.
Assemble Mousse:
- Add a tablespoon of crumble in the base of serving glass.
- Fill the cups with chocolate mousse. Cover with a cling foil and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour or at least 15 – 30 minutes before serving
- Serve Chocolate Mousse chilled with whipped cream.
Recipe Notes:
Use only dark chocolate or semi-sweet dark chocolate for making the mousse. Avoid using milk chocolate or confectionary chocolate.
You can melt chocolate in a microwave for 10 – 20 seconds. Whisk until silky smooth. But do not heat the chocolate for too long in the microwave it will get spoiled.
Make sure the melted chocolate is not hot while mixing in the cream. It should be at room temperature.
Use only heavy whipping cream for making the mousse. In India, I have tried making this mousse with Mother Dairy Cream and the result was satisfying. Make sure cream, and the mixing bowl is chilled or cold to touch before whipping.
During the summer season, keep the bowl and the whisk attachment in the fridge for few minutes before whipping the cream. This reduces the whipping time.
Do not whip the cream for too long. We need only soft peaks like soft-serve ice cream and not stiff peaks. Chocolate will not mix properly in the stiff cream.
After adding the melted chocolate, do not whisk or mix the cream for too long else it will deflate and become liquid. Use the cut and fold method with minimal force.
Adding coffee is optional in this recipe. You can skip this step. But make sure not to add too much liquid coffee in the chocolate. They will not mix properly.
Nutrition
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