Hummus – chickpea and sesame dip Apparently this is the UK’s most popular dip from the Middle East, but supermarket versions are rather disappointing. You can make much better hummus yourself and it’s so easy to make that you can adjust this recipe to just the way you like it. Serves 4. A note on the main ingredients: • Chickpeas – I prefer dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and then boiled for about half an hour (cook lots and store them in the freezer till you need them). You’ll find the best ones in independent shops selling to Middle Eastern customers. Tinned chickpeas are not so nice and have a horrible gloopy liquid that you’ll need to rinse off; they are also much more expensive than dried. • Tahini – this is a paste made from crushed sesame seeds, sold in jars, which you can find easily in supermarkets. It’s sold as ‘light’ or dark’; I use ‘light’. Don’t be alarmed by the layer of oil that forms in the jar. It will keep for ages and ages in your cupboard without going off. Approx 225g cooked chickpeas or 1 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly Clove of garlic, chopped 1 ½ tbs tahini 2 tbs good olive oil 1 ½ tbs lemon juice, or to taste Salt, pepper, paprika Mix everything together except the lemon juice and seasonings. If you’ve got a food processor or blender, this is easy. If not, you’ll need to pound the chickpeas and garlic till smooth. Now add lemon juice to your taste and salt, pepper and paprika. Add a little water if you like your hummus more liquid. Serve with flatbread and salad, maybe with some feta-type cheese too. Or pop some in a pitta bread with salads. Note that this is best eaten fresh – that’s why supermarket varieties don’t taste so good. Don’t keep it for more than a day (or two at the most) in the fridge. Variations: in Egypt they use ground cumin instead of paprika. In Jerusalem they don’t use any olive oil, just water. Some countries add parsley and/or different spices. I’ve also had hummus made with orange and lemon juice. © Jane Chittenden for Future Radio July 2014
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 17:43:32 +0000
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