Hummus
Hummus is one of the most popular dishes in Israel, in whole Middle East and elsewhere. Hummus is kind of a paste made of cooked chickpeas, tahini and some spices. Besides oriental restaurants in Israel serving hummus as part of their menu, there are a lot of joints specializing in hummus (called hummusia), and if you ask any Israeli, he will be glad to send you to a hummusia he knows, that serves "the best hummus in the universe".
Hummus is usually served in a deep plate sprinkled with olive oil and scooped with pita bread. It can come plain or with a topping. The most popular toppings are tahini sauce, whole chickpeas, ful (partially mashed fava beans), roasted pine nuts, sautéed mushrooms or even minced meat.
Preparation of hummus is considered a real art, and every hummusia has some secret ingredient that they keep to themselves. However in order to prepare a descent hummus at home, all is needed is high quality ingredients and to stick to the recipe in general. Here are some important rules to help you achieve the best results:
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Chickpeas - use only white dry varieties. In general the chickpeas must be more or less the size of green peas. The bigger ones are not suitable for hummus. Don't ever try canned chickpeas. This is sinful.
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Tahini - use high quality raw tahini or prepare it by yourself (see recipe)
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Soaking - prior to cooking, chickpeas must be soaked in water for at least 12 hrs. The longer the better. If you live in hot climate, soak in the fridge. Exchange the water every 6 hrs.
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Cooking - the chickpeas must be cooked to a point you can mash them between you fingers effortlessly, no less and no more.
In general remember that there are 1001 ways to prepare hummus. That's the reason, why hummus tastes different from one place to another. Play with it and find what suits you the best.
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Preparation time: 2-4 hours + 12-24 hrs. soaking
Difficulty level: Medium
Servings: 10
Special equipment: Food processor
Ingredients
4 cups dry chickpeas
2 white onions
10 cloves garlic
2 tsps. baking soda (optional)
2 cups raw tahini
2 tsps. lemon salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
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Secret ingredients:
honey
peanut butter
Preparation
Rinse the chickpeas well, soak in water for 12 - 24 hrs. Change the water every 6 hrs.
Rinse the chickpeas, put in a pot. Cut the onions in 4, half the garlic cloves and add to the pot.
Optionally add the soda. This shortens the cooking time. On the other hand it adds a certain aftertaste. Some like it, some not. Another option is to use baking powder instead of soda.
Cover with water and add 4 cups more.
Bring to a boil and reduce the heat so it is simmering. Don't skim the foam from the surface. Cook till the chickpeas are so soft, that you can mash them between your fingers without effort.
Transfer the chickpeas to the food processor (keep the liquid). Add tahini, cumin, lemon salt and salt. Add 2 tsps. honey or 1 tbsp. peanut butter. Add 2 cups of cooking liquid. Process until creamy. If needed add more liquid. Take into account that the hummus gets thicker when it cools down. Hummus can hold on in the fridge for not more than 36 hrs.
Serve in a central dish or personal dishes garnished with some tahini sauce (see recipe), plenty of olive oil, some paprika and finely chopped parsley.