Homemade Hummus
This is a really simple hummus recipe made the way I imagine it must've
been made before commercial corruption of hummus.
Features of this recipe:
- Low-fat, very healthy
- No weird additives... well, weird is subjective, so let's just say
no additives that don't belong in a Middle-Eastern dish
- No electricity used in the making
Ingredients:
- Chick peas (garbanzo beans, one large can)
- Sesame tahini (ground-up sesame paste, 3 tbsp)
- Garlic (3-4 large cloves, crushed)
- Olive oil (1-2 tbsps, good-quality, extra virgin)
- Cumin seeds (2 tsp)
- Cumin powder (2 tsp, grind some seeds if you don't have the powder)
- Sumac powder (2 tsp, any Middle-Eastern store will have it)
- Red chilli powder (a dash)
- Salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (fresh crushed, to taste)
Steps:
- Drain the can of chick peas and rinse them. Empty the chick peas into
a bowl and mash them away. You could use a blender or food processor, but
that would violate the no-electricity rule. Seriously though, a blender
would choke with the chick pea flesh and a food processor may not get it
creamy enough. So, channel all your stress into mashing the chick peas.
- When the chick peas look sufficiently subdued, add all of the other
ingredients. If someone is watching you, pretend like you're following some
time-honoured order, but in truth, it doesn't matter. Keep mashing away.
- If the paste looks too dry, add some water. You shouldn't have to add
more than 1-2 tbsp. You want the consistency of peanut butter... easily
spreadable. Mash away and make the sure the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Serve with crackers, pretzels, raw veggies, over bread...
All of the ingredient proportions above are only recommendations, not
gospel. If you like your chick peas spicy, add more chilli powder. If you
can't find sumac, don't fret. If you detest garlic (away with you!), then
try roasting them before adding them. Try half of one roasted red bell
pepper, finely-chopped. Throw in some finely-chopped fresh parsley, if you
like. Add a dash of lemon for some tartness and longer shelf life.