Hummus

Hummus

Hummus is a delicious dip/spread made with garbanzo beans/chick pea, popular throughout in the Mediterranean-Middle Eastern region. The name "Hummus" is transliterated from the arabic word for garbanzo, thus the spelling can vary widely, and it can be written also hamos, hummos, hommus, houmous etc. A very versatile snack, tapa, antipasto, enjoy Hummus with toasted pita breads (alternatively crusty toasted bread or crackers), or accompaniment to falafel, grilled or raw vegetables.

300g dried garbanzo(chickpea)*
80g tahini (middle eastern sesame paste)**
1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 tsp cumin
Extra Virgine Olive Oil
salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Soak the garbanzo beans overnight (12-15 hours) in water with 1 tbsp of baking soda mixed in.
At the end of soaking rinse the garbanzo several times, then boil for 1,5 hour, or 45minutes in a pressure cooker.
Drain and transfer into a food processor/mixer. Add the rest of ingredients, with first about 1/4 cup of Olive Oil, pulse a few times, check the consistency and the flavour and adjust the amount of oil, add it gradually to make a smooth, creamy texture, as well as the salt and spice to your taste.
Garnish with chopped flat parsley or fresh coriander leaves if desired.

*It IS a bit of pain preparing the dried garbanzo while you can just pop open a tinned chick peas, but the difference in flavour is so significant it is highly recommended to use the traditional method with the dried beans!! Garbanzo beans are so versatile, you can prepare multiple doses in one go and make a few different items as well!

**as an emergency solution when you can't find Tahini, you can mix in some good intense quality sesame oil with the Olive oil, about 2-3 table spoons. Not exactly the same thing and significantly lighter in taste, but quite similar essence can be attained.