If I ever got stuck on a deserted island I would only need 3 things. WiFi (of course), a charger and a falafel vendor. Because I could easily live on just falafel. And if there is falafel there will be chickpeas so we can make hummus and I would probably never want to return home.
I must admit that I have always made my own thought out version of hummus. A tin of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini and lemon juice all placed in a food processor in unmeasured quantities and then just tasted as I went along until I had a passable bowl of hummus.
Until I found this recipe for Israeli style hummus on Bon Appetit and it is the best hummus I have ever made or tasted. Granted it needs a bit of preplanning as you make it with dried chickpeas that has to be soaked in cold water overnight. But I promise you it is so worth it. You end with a silky smooth hummus that is absolutely delicious and you would not want to make in any other way again.
As you can see in the pics, hummus is much more than just a “dip”. I drizzled the hummus over some roasted aubergines with thinly sliced red onion and some fresh herbs to make a delicious meat free Monday dinner. I would also use it as a base for a salad dressing, adding olive oil and lemon juice to thin it down and drizzle over a salad.
You could serve the hummus with these toppings as suggested by Bon Appetit, both sounding really good: hot smoked Spanish paprika, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley or fried chickpeas, hot smoked Spanish paprika, and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
I am thrilled that the Recipe Index has been given a visual makeover. Instead of just a recipe listing, every recipe now shows the image of the dish, making it much easier to search and find a recipe to prepare. I hope you like it as much as I do.
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How To Make Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 tsp bicarb of soda
- 2 fat garlic cloves peeled
- juice from 2 lemons
- 1 tsp sea salt plus more to season
- quarter cup ice cold water
- 2 thirds cup tahini
- quarter tsp ground cumin more to taste
- Baleia Extra Virgin Olive Oil for serving
Instructions
- Place chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water
- Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight
- Drain and rinse
- Combine the soaked chickpeas and bicarb of soda in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by about 4cm
- Bring to a boil, skimming the surface as needed
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until the chickpeas are tender and starting to fall apart,about 45–60 minutes
- Drain and set aside
- Meanwhile, process the garlic, lemon juice, and 1 tsp sea salt in a food processor until coarsely puréed and let it stand for about 15 minutes to mellow
- Strain the garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible
- Pour the liquid back in the food processor and discard the garlic solids
- Add the tahini and pulse to combine
- With the motor running, add ¼ cup ice water by the spoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick
- Add the chickpeas and cumin and process for about 5 minutes, scraping down sides until the mixture is extremely smooth
- Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency
- Taste and season with salt, more lemon juice, and more cumin as desired.
- Spoon the hummus into a shallow bowl, make a well in the center, and drizzle liberally with olive oil
** Olive Oil provided by Baleia Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I am proud to be associated with Baleia Extra Virgin Olive Oil and use it whenever a recipe requires Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The South African cold press extra virgin Olive Oil is produced in the Riversdale area, has a whiff of fresh cut grass and aromas of green tomatoes, almonds artichokes and green apples.
See below for a few more of my favourite recipes with chickpeas :
Roasted Butternut Squash Falafel
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Lien
Oct 23, 2017
Hummus where the heart is!
Love this post.
heinstirred
Oct 23, 2017
Haha, agreed Lien!
Lindi Schmidt
Oct 23, 2017
How much Tahini paste should you use in the recipe?
heinstirred
Oct 23, 2017
Hello Lindi. It is 2/3 cup – thank you so much for letting me know there is an error.