Saturday, March 9, 2013

Hummus


As much as I love eating Greek and middle eastern food I had never made it at home. This was one thing on my to try list for so long and then Nupur of One Hot Stove organized a swap, my swap partner sent me Sumac and I decided to put it to use. So I made Hummus, Falafel, Homemade Pita Bread, Tzatiki and a Warm Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad. I was very happy with the way all of the recipes came out and my husband and my friends certified that these were a hit. So here is how I made Hummus. I read a lot of recipes online but haven't stuck to any particular one. I didn't have Tahini and I basically just used toasted sesame seeds with olive oil. I am not sure this is how Tahini is to be made but this is how I made it.

I would like to thank Subha for clicking the pics and sharing them with me. Many a recipe remains in my drafts for the lack of pictures ....


Hummus - I pronounce it as Hoo-mus this was how I first heard a kuwaiti friend refer to it, I have heard others pronounce it as Hum-mus I don't know which is correct or authentic, if you do please let me know ...
Ingredients
1 15Oz Can Chickpeas
3-4 cloves of Garlic

1/4 C Olive Oil (I used Extra Virgin but I guess a lighter, fruitier olive oil will work too)
Juice of Half Lemon 
Tahini (Note:  I used 1/2 C toasted sesame seeds, powdered them and then added 2 Tbsp of EVOO - Not sure if this is authentic but didn't have it on hand so decided to make it)
Warm Water (as needed)
Salt
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin and Pepper Powder
1 tsp Sumac

Method
1. Empty the can of chickpeas in a colander and rinse it under hot water to remove all the gooey canned residue. I also think it reduces the tinny taste.
2. Remove the skin off the chickpeas as much as you can, it is kind of boring but I read somewhere that it results in a smooth textured hummus.
3. In a food processor add the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Grind the ingredients till they start to form a paste. I needed to add warm water to bring them all together, if the mixture doesn't seem to be coming together add warm water little at a time.
4. When it starts to become into a paste, add salt, cumin powder and half of olive oil and continue to pulse.
5. Transfer to a bowl, taste test for the seasoning adjust if required. Make a swirly mark with your spoon, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with Sumac on top.
6. Serve with Pita bread, chips or veges ...
The tomatillos make a good prop ;)

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