Name a yum , umami , wholesome , versatile spread/dip/accompaniment and I bet you thought of Hummus ! I keep my stash ready for those midnight cravings or days where you are cluelesss what to stir up for breakfast. Fun thing about hummus is that its vegan, made of chickpeas and sesame paste (tahini) mainly and loaded ( to your liking) with extra virgin olive oil. So basically, it ticks all the right boxes no matter what form of diet you are on.
You can choose to spread it on a toasted sourdough or even plain old bread slice, it never fails to wow you. Or if you have soft bread at home like pita or crispy lavash, choosing hummus is the way to go.
I have been using Chef Sami Tamimi’s recipe for hummus from his book Falastin and it works every single time. Chef Tamimi recommends the dish be eaten fresh and warm, though it refrigerates pretty well too. I often make a batch which lasts me 7-10 days. I use an air tight Borosil container with a cover to store hummus, top it with extra virgin olive oil enough to form a thin layer on it and sprinkle sumac and za’atar ( totally optional).
Before serving, I usually scoop out a small portion in a bowl and keep it on shelf to bring it to room temperature , which hardly takes few minutes in Delhi summers.I sometimes top it with chopped green olives and Nando ‘s Peri Peri sauce too. Though during my midnight food hunts , I have eaten it right off the container in fridge and its delicious no matter what.
Hummus
Ingredients:
Makes a big bowl of hummus :
Dried Chickpeas (white channa), soaked overnight in double the amount of water : 250 grams
Baking Soda (Soda Bicarbonate) : 1 tsp
Tahini (Sesame paste),store bought : 270 grams
Juice of 4 lemons , around 60 ml
Garlic cloves (finely grated or crushed) : 4 cloves
Ice cold water : 100 ml
Salt
Method:
Take the soaked and drained chickpeas in a wide and deep pan, add 1.5 litres of water and baking soda. Bring the water to a boil.Cook on medium heat for 30-40 minutes, skimming off any foam that appears on surface.The chickpeas are ready when you can press them easily between thumb and index finger. Do not let them go mushy.
Drain the cooked chickpeas and grind them using a hand blender or food processor to form a stiff paste. While the blender still running, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1.5 tsp salt.
Slowly drizzle ice cold water and continue blending for 5 minutes till you have smooth and creamy paste.
Hummus is ready.
How to store:
Tranfer hummus to an air tight container with a cover , top it with a layer of extra virgin olive oil enough to form a thin layer on it and sprinkle spice/herbs of choice on top .
I prefer sumac and za’atar ( totally optional).
How to serve :
Scoop out required portion in a bowl and keep it on shelf to bring it to room temperature before serving.
There are many toppings you can opt for, it could be a drizzle of more extra virgin olive oil or chopped green olives or Peri Peri sauce (Nando’s).
Serve with fresh or toasted Pita, Lavash bread, sourdough or any other bread of choice.
Bon apetit !
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