Hummus is an absolutely delightful spread/dip, hailing from the Middle East, made primarily of garbanzo beans. (Chickpeas.) You can buy it in the deli section of your supermarket, but when it's so easy to make, why not do it yourself?
The one tricky ingredient to find is tahini, which is a paste made of sesame seeds. (Think of it as sesame seed butter, sort of like peanut butter.) I had so much trouble finding it when I first thought about making hummus that I considered getting sesame seeds and grinding them up, but it proved to be cost-prohibitive. I finally managed to find tahini in the local co-op specializing in organic foods. (An amusing side note . . . I once saw a lady in Wal-Mart talking emphatically on her phone, saying she just couldn't find any tahini. I understand the frustration of searching fruitlessly for that one special ingredient . . . I waved to catch her eye and mouthed, "co-op", giving her a thumbs-up, at which point her eyes lit up, and she mouthed back, "Thank you," then told the person she was speaking to she was going to head to the co-op.)
If you don't have a local grocery store or co-op which carries tahini, never fear, the Internet is here. It can be ordered on-line or, if you have a reasonably inexpensive source of sesame seeds, it can be made. (I found a recipe once . . . long ago . . .)
Hummus recipes abound, but this one is the one from About.com my family and I like to make (and use in our pita).
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| Ingredients needed: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic (fresh or bottled kinds both work). |
1 16-oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained (save some of that liquid!)
1/4 cup of liquid from the can of chickpeas
3-5 Tablespoons lemon juice (We prefer 4.)
1 1/2 Tablespoons tahini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed (or equivalent, if you are using the jarred garlic . . . look on the side of the jar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
I confess there is one more ingredient I use, but only the tiniest tap: cayenne pepper. Those who want their hummus more on the spicy side could add more of this.
Put all the ingredients in your kichen blender, and press ON. Every so often, stop the blender and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides. (My blender won't run if the lid is off, but I figure it's a good idea, anyway, to mention it is bad to try to scrape down the sides when the blender is running. You would think it would be common sense, but--face it--some people have none.) When the consistency is incorporated and smooth, take a small taste to see if you want any of the seasonings adjusted. It should take about 3-5 minutes of blending to reach the right consistency.
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| Muahaha! My blender is called a Ninja! |
The flavor of hummus is good freshly-made, but I think it is even better when it has had time to sit in the refrigerator and mellow a bit. So I try to make hummus either a day ahead of when I plan to use it or earlier the day I need it. (About the time I make the tabouli that day, if I plan on using that.)
If you want, when you serve the hummus, you can make a small well in the center of the hummus, and add a small amount (1 or 2 Tablespoons) of olive oil in the well.
Serve it with homemade pita, or on crackers, or on other breads. Sooooo good!
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