Hummus
Hummus… an addictive spread from the Middle East that you can make in all colors and flavors! I am crazy about hummus. And I love to make it too, starting from dried chickpeas.
Once you learn how to prepare the basic version, you can have fun to create different varieties. Simona and I prepare at least two different batches. Our favorites are the roasted onion and peppers hummus, and the beetroot hummus. However, we also enjoy experimenting with spinach, turmeric, and ginger.
I will show you here how to prepare the standard version and then how to make some varieties.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chickpeas (for two batches fo hummus)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- The juice of two limes
- Olive oil
- Parsley
- 4 tablespoons tahini paste
Preparation
Soak the chickpeas overnight. Cook them is a slow cooker for 8 hours or in a sushi rice cooker for 2 hours. In both cases, cover with abundant water, add a pinch of rock salt and 4-6 bay leaves.
When the chickpeas are cooked and tender, drain and remove the bay leaves. Split the chickpeas into two different bowls and start preparing the first one. Sprinkle the chickpeas with abundant olive oil and salt. Add 2 garlic cloves, 1 cup water, 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds, and the juice of one lime. Mix well with a food processor. If the cream is bumpy, add a bit more water: you can thicken it again later by adding tahini paste. Stir in abundant parsley and two spoons of tahini paste. Process again in the mixer until you obtain a smooth spread.
If you want to add some color to this base, you can add a couple of teaspoons turmeric.
Transfer to a serving bowl, decorate with some spare chickpeas or fresh parsley leaves, and put in the fridge to cool for at least one hour before serving.
Roasted onion and pepper hummus
To make this variety of hummus, add the following ingredients to the ingredients listed in the original recipe:
- 1 large onion
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon vegetable powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- Olive oil
- Handful parsley
Pour a little oil in a saucepan with a lid. Rinse the peppers, clean them and dice them into small pieces. Transfer them to the saucepan. Dice the onion too and add it to the saucepan. Stir well, and heat the pan to middle-high. Add the rest of the ingredients, plus 1/5 cup of water. Stir well, cover with the lid and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid the vegetables to stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
As the veggies are soft, take off the heat and mix them to the chickpeas. Add all the basic ingredients and process in the mixer.
Beetroot hummus
To make beetroot hummus, add the following to the basic ingredients:
- 3 large, pre-cooked beetroots
- 1 teaspoon of garlic salt or onion salt
Proceed as in the original recipe.
Once the hummus is served, enjoy your dipping with crackers, bread sticks, thins or melba toasts. Want a different dip with no chickpeas or beans? Try the baba ganoush instead!
