Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Hummus


Hummus is one of the most famous Middle Eastern dip that is well known all across the world now. Hummus in Arabic means Chickpeas. The dip made using chickpeas is also known as hummus.The unique flavour of the hummus comes from the tahini sauce that's simply toasted sesame seeds ground along with olive oil to get a thick smooth paste. It is mainly eaten with Pitta bread, Arabic bread or Khubz, with shawarma etc. It can also be used as dip for many steam cooked vegetables like carrot, as a healthy spread for bread etc. Below given is the basic recipe of hummus. Here, I have used dried peas, You can also substitute it with canned chickpeas and make the work even more easier. Season it with cumin powder, paprika powder etc if you like some variations to the basic hummus. This stays fresh in refrigerator for up to three days.
I normally make Hummus when I roast or grill chicken and have it with Qubz and any salad.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry Chick peas
6 garlic pods
2 tbs lime/lemon juice
2 1/2 tbs Tahini/Tahina (sesame seed paste)
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup water or Just enough water to grind the peas to a smooth thick paste

Preparation:
1. Wash and soak the peas for 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. Pressure cook peas along with water and garlic until peas are thoroughly cooked and is soft.
3. Grind it into smooth paste along with garlic and tahini sauce by adding enough water from the cooked peas or tap water.
4. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil while serving.