HUMMUS

Hummus takes practice to make, but homemade hummus is a lot healthier and tastier than the store bought version. I have been the lazy person buying the canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), but I have never found the right hummus recipe that gives the right creamy texture.  I finally jumped into boiling my own garbanzo bean and there is a huge difference in taste and texture.

The following recipe makes 4 big bowls of hummus.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• ½ cup of tahini
• 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (optional)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon + ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Olive oil

Red hummus: Add about 200-250 grams of cooked red beet

Green hummus: Add 200-250 grams of peas (frozen or fresh cooked peas)

DIRECTIONS:

PART 1 – PREPARING THE CHICKPEAS:

1. Pour the chickpeas in a bowl, and pick out any damaged grains that you don’t want to eat.
2. Wash the chickpeas with water until the rinse water is transparent and clear.  You will likely need to change the water several times to make sure that they are clean.
3. Soak the chickpeas in clean water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda overnight.
4. Wash the chickpeas once again, and soak in tap water for a few more hours. The grains should absorb a lot of water and almost double in size.
5. Wash the chickpeas well and put them in a large pot. Cover with water and add the rest of the baking soda (1/4 teaspoon). Cook until the chickpeas are easy to smash when pressed between two fingers. It should take around 1-1.5 hours. While cooking, it is best to change the water once and remove the skins/peels and foam that float to the top.
6. When the chickpeas are cooked, strain the grains, but keep some of the cooking water.
7. Let the chickpeas cool off.

PART 2 – MAKING THE HUMMUS:

1. With a mortar & pestle, mash together the peeled garlic cloves and salt, to release the juices from the garlic. Put the mixture in a food processor (or alternately a hand blender) and add the chickpeas, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and cumin. Blend well until you get the desired texture. If the hummus is too thick, add a little of the cooking water to the mix.
2. Serve the hummus in a shallow bowl in a swirled pattern. Drizzle a good amount of olive oil over the hummus, allowing it to collect between the swirls. Garnish with a dash of paprika.
3. If you want a spicy version, make a little hole in the middle of the hummus and add a tablespoon of garlic chili sauce.

TIP:

When boiling the garbanzo beans you can make an extra portion and put it in the freezer for next time you need to make hummus.