Homemade Hummus
Posted 15 July 2012 by Cheryl ClaudineI stopped buying hummus at the deli after I found out how easy it is to make. Just keep a jar of tahini in your fridge, and a few cans of chick peas (aka garbanzo beans) in your cupboard, and you can make hummus on the fly in less time than it takes to go out to buy a container of the ready-made stuff. It’s a lot cheaper to make it yourself, too.
My recipe is based on this popular recipe, tweaked after I painstakingly read through the most popular suggestions made by that recipe’s reviewers as well as this lively discussion on Chowhound. The result is, I think, better than what you find at most restaurants and delis! Serve with wedges of warm pita bread and/or fresh veggies to dip. If possible, make this the night before. Store in the refrigerator and the flavours will meld together better overnight.
Note that this recipe makes enough to bring to a party. I normally make only half this recipe at a time, and so I have provided measurements that are easily cut in half.
2 (540-ml or 19-oz) cans chick peas
4 tablespoons tahini*
the juice of 1 lemon
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
Optional: cayenne pepper, paprika, olive oil, fresh parsley
*you can buy tahini, which is roasted sesame seed paste, at health food stores like Whole Foods or Planet Organic; I actually found it in the peanut butter section at Safeway
Simple directions:
Drain the chick peas, saving about 1/2 cup of the “juice” from the cans.
Using a blender, handheld blender, or food processor, combine the chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (if used) together. Slowly add the chick pea “juice” a little at a time until you have achieved the desired thickness. Blend well until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Best if chilled overnight. To serve, transfer to serving bowl, drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika and fresh parsley.
More complicated directions:
Follow these directions if you have extra time! The texture of the hummus will be lighter and smoother.
- In a saucepan, heat the two cans of chick peas in their juice until boiling. Lower heat and simmer about two minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until the chick peas are cool enough to handle with your bare hands but still quite warm.
- Meanwhile, using a hand blender, blend the tahini and the lemon juice together to create an emulsion.
- Crush the garlic cloves and mash them together with the salt. Add to the tahini/lemon mixture.
- When the chick peas have cooled enough, drain them from the chick pea “juice”, saving about 1/2 cup of juice, and run your fingers over the chick peas to release them from their skins. Remove as many skins as you can. The more skins you can remove, the smoother your hummus will be.
- Add the chick peas to the blended tahini mixture. Continue to blend well, adding the reserved chick pea juice a little at a time, until you have achieved the desired thickness and texture. I aim for the consistency of thick sour cream.
- Taste and mix in 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper if desired. Add more salt if necessary.
- Chill in refrigerator and serve the next day. To serve, transfer to serving bowl, drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika and fresh parsley.
References:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hummus-iii/detail.aspx
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/316864
