Hummus has to be one of my favorite foods. It can be eaten the classic way with pitta bread or with raw carrot and cucumber. I enjoy adding it to couscous and roasted vegetables too. I even spread it on toast. I love to make it fresh and usually go for the classic recipe but I wanted to try something a bit different today. I haven't written a food post in ages and decided this would be a yummy one to share. Who doesn't love hummus right?
This version is a little sweeter than the original recipe and there is something quite mellow about it. I tend to use canned chickpeas as time is a huge factor but this recipe can also be made with dried ones that have been cooked too. Simply convert the weight ratio if you decide to follow this recipe. It is super easy to make and you don't need fancy gadgets like big food processors to do it. I have a little hand blender that works well. When I lived in Spain I made it with a pestle and mortar and potato masher for a more rustic look.
What you will need.
1 can of chickpeas 400g (250g drained weight)
3 Tablespoons of Tahini
3 medium cloves of garlic
1 Lemon, juiced
1/2 a red bell pepper or capsicum
2 Tablespoons plus a little drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
A little water for consistency
Sesame seeds, olives, and either parsley or cilantro to garnish.
Preparation
Start by adding a little olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic, skin on, to a skillet or ovenproof pan. Next add half the bell pepper, sliced into chunky strips. I started my skillet off on the hob and transferred it to my oven which was preheated to 220c or 428f, gas mark 8. Simply cook until they are slightly charred. The garlic needed less time than the pepper so I pulled it out earlier.
I juiced the lemon by hand and added it to the pot with the tahini.I blended this together until it was a nice creamy texture.
This took a few minutes and a little stopping and scraping.
I then added the olive oil, cumin, salt, and garlic cloves, skin removed. I blended this until all the ingredients were consistently smooth.
Add the drained chickpeas. Start with half the can and blend until smooth. If it is too stiff to move, add a couple of tablespoons of water. Note: the water from chickpeas makes a good egg replacer and it is worth saving this in a container and freezing.
Once blended, add the rest of the chickpeas and repeat the process until you have a nice smooth paste. Finally, add in the roasted peppers and blend until the desired consistency. I like to leave a few chunkier bits in to add texture but if you prefer it smoother, keep blending until it is completely smooth.
This makes quite a big batch so I put some in a pot to eat for an early lunch and the rest I placed in a lidded tub and have stored in the fridge. It will last about 5 days like that and I am sure it will all be gone before then as the little dudes like hummus as much as I do.
For a garnish, I sliced some olives ( I think black ones would have looked better but I only had green), drizzled a little olive oil, and sprinkled a pinch of paprika and sesame seeds to make it look pretty. I later added some cilantro too as it compliments the flavor really well. The parsley is just to make the plate look pretty. I am not a fan of parsley haha.
Thank you for reading my post and maybe let me know what your favorite hummus flavor is in the comments.
~ONE LOVE~
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