Hummus (chickpea)

 

 

This is another very popular middle-eastern recipe that nowadays appears in almost every supermarket. I prefer to make it myself, because I don’t like hummus to be too smooth or light. Ideally, you make it with a very full-flavoured olive oil. 

 

Serves 4 as a starter

 

Ingredients 

 

1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked OR 400 g (14 oz) can chickpeas

1/2 tsp dried, minced garlic - use more if you like a strong garlic flavour

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

extra olive oil

paprika

Method:

• Cook the chickpeas for five minutes longer than usual and drain, reserving the liquid. The idea of this is to ensure that the chickpeas are really soft.  Indeed, this is one of the advantages of home-cooked chickpeas: canned ones are occasionally a bit too firm. If using a can, drain it and reserve the liquid.
• Put the chickpeas into a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.  Use a stick blender if the canned ones are a bit firm.  You can put them in a blender, but they are a complete pain to clean out!
• Incorporate the garlic, olive oil, tahini and lemon juice. The flavour from garlic granules permeates the mixture more quickly than fresh garlic.  Diced garlic works, but not everyone appreciates pieces of raw garlic.  Combine thoroughly. You should have a thick paste. If it’s too thick, mix in some of the reserved cooking liquid/water. If you prefer a more commercial-style hummus, mix further with a wire whisk, adding extra liquid to produce a lighter, smoother purée.  Tahini varies tremendously in texture: some is like thick peanut butter, some is like runny honey in texture.  This recipe assumes a thin peanut butter-like consistency.
• Season – carefully with salt if you’ve used canned chick peas, which may already be salted, and generously with black pepper.
• To present the hummus attractively, scrape it into a crockery bowl, smooth it down and then make little ridges with a fork. Dribble olive oil over the top and then sprinkle with paprika.  Or chop some fresh parsley and sprinkle it over the top.

Variations:

• Add 1/2 tsp ground cumin when you mix in the garlic.
• Add 1/4 tsp cayenne or dried chilli flakes, when you add the garlic.