Hummus

Hummus is such a versatile ‘dip’ (isn’t it so, so much more?). It’s great in wraps, it’s great with veggies, and absolutely delicious with meat. It’s also incredibly popular so I’m pretty sure everyone knows that it’s incredibly easy to make! Honestly, you don’t even need a recipe, just taste your mixture and you’ll figure out which direction you want to take it in. Perhaps a more garlic heavy hummus? Or a lemon-y hummus? Or maybe you want to make something Instagram worthy like Beetroot hummus?!

Chickpea Conundrum

I’ve never used canned chickpeas. Dried chickpeas are so common and cheap in India and we’ve always got a bag at home. When using dried chickpeas, just remember that once soaked and cooked, the chickpeas triple in size. So if a recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas then you know that you have to soak 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas. I’ve found a few recipes online that call for 1 can of chickpeas. That’s 15 ounces, which is roughly about 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas. I can’t comment on how the canned variety works since I’ve never tried it, but I can provide you with one tip for dried chickpeas.

Always. Peel. Your. Chickpeas.

I know this seems like yet another step in an already lengthy process – You’ve soaked it overnight, and pressure cooked it and now you gotta take time out to peel the chickpeas?

Totally worth it. Well, if you’re a fan of chunky hummus then sure, you don’t need to peel them, but if you like smooth, creamy hummus, then this is the way to go! Just squeeze the cooked chickpea between your fingers and it should pop right out of its skin. Honestly, it’s sort of fun. If you’re in a hurry, then you could immerse the chickpeas in water and rub them together between your palms. This will remove some skin, not all, but something’s better than nothing eh? What I like to do is watch tv as I peel them individually. It’s that or play on my phone as I watch TV. The last time I made Hummus, I focused on peeling the chickpeas and nothing else and I have to say, it was quite cathartic. And I finished peeling the entire 1/2 cup in less than 10 minutes.

Tahini Troubles?

While Tahini is available in the market, sometimes you just don’t have any on hand. However, it’s not that difficult to make, all you need is sesame and neutral flavoured oil. Dry roast the sesame till it becomes fragrant and changes colour ever so slightly. Grind it in a food processor till you have a crumbly powder. Add the oil and process till it becomes creamy. You might have to scrape the sides down a few times. The proportions given below makes 1/4 cup of tahini which is all you need for the standard hummus recipe. Add your chickpeas along with the rest of the ingredients to the same food processor with the tahini and you’re good to go!

Colour my Hummus!

This is a great way to sneak in some extra vegetable goodness into your hummus. Oh and also, it’s super fun! I would imagine this would be a great hit with children, seeing as how when it comes to food, most of the time, I have been told that I act like a child. And colourful hummus really does make me happy!

Try roasted red peppers for an orangish-red colour, Carrots for an orange hummus, Beetroot for a vibrant pink, Spinach, Coriander or fresh Moringa leaves for green hummus.

Standard Hummus Recipe

This recipe makes about 1 cup of hummus. I’m reluctant to really give you a recipe because I almost never follow one recipe. Sometimes my hummus look like it needs more water, sometimes I’m in the mood for more garlic. They only thing I recommend you do is taste! I have faith that you’ll know what you need!