Make Your Own Hummus
A couple of weeks ago in the comments section of my post about cooking with dried beans, there was some discussion of making hummus at home and I was asked to post my husband’s fabulous recipe. He’s the sort of cook who eschews measuring cups and spoons so I followed him around the kitchen last night with a pad and pencil saying “wait, stop, how much of that did you put in” and transcribed the following recipe.
It’s very important to start with dried chickpeas. Once you’ve tasted hummus made from dried chickpeas you’ll never go back to using canned ones or buying hummus at the grocery store for that matter. The flavors are fresh and complex and the texture robust. The best part is, it’s incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. For just a few dollars you can make a big platter full for your next party and if you pick up some nice pita bread, vegetables and olives it’s really almost a meal in itself. Hummus also makes a great sandwich filling. One of my favorite combinations is hummus, avocado and sriracha sauce.
This recipe is very flexible so don’t be afraid to fiddle around with the amounts a bit if you’re so inclined. In our house we’ve discovered the amount of lemon people like in their hummus is a deeply personal thing so add a little at a time until you find a balance that you like. Really, the same goes for most of the other ingredients too, if you want a more pronounced sesame flavor then add more tahini; garlic lovers, put in another clove or two; play around with it until you find your favorite ratios.
Hummus
(adapted from Mediterranean Street Food by Anissa Helou)
Makes about 3 cups
1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in water for 4 hours or over night
1/3 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, peeled
salt
5 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
paprika
fruity olive oil
olives (optional)
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the chickpeas partially covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until very tender.
Drain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking water. Place the chickpeas in a food processor with the tahini and garlic. Process into a smooth puree. Check the consistency, it should be creamy, if it’s too thick add a couple of tablespoons of the chickpea cooking water to thin it out.
Add salt to taste, processing to blend it in.
Add the lemon juice a little at a time, processing to blend, until it tastes the way you like.
Serve in a shallow bowl or on a small platter. Make a slight depression in the center of the hummus, sprinkle the paprika on top and pour some nice fruity olive oil into the depression. Garnish with olives if you like.
Serve with pita bread and vegetables for dipping.
By Kathryn McGowan on June 5, 2009 | 5
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5 Responses to “Make Your Own Hummus”
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Kathryn McGowan
June 5th, 2009 @ 8:44 AM
You’re welcome Kim. I hope you like it.
Kim
June 5th, 2009 @ 10:11 AM
Hey, you gave a post on your hummus as promised. Thanks!
Dianna
June 6th, 2009 @ 4:25 AM
Yep. That tahini ratio is really the key to the deliciousness. Thanks so much!
Kim
June 7th, 2009 @ 1:42 PM
which brand of tahini do you use?
Kathryn McGowan
June 8th, 2009 @ 7:40 AM
We often buy our Tahini at Sahadi’s in Brooklyn. If you haven’t been there is a real treat, it’s like going to a middle eastern bazaar. I never knew there were so many different kinds of dates for example.
The brand of Tahini they sell there is Al Wadi, I think it’s from Lebanon. It’s really good.