On Saturday I made a huge bowl of hummus, and promptly amazed myself with how gorgeous it was as compared to shop-bought ones. I always intend to make it myself but never seem to get around to it.... This time, however, I was determined!
The recipe I used came from Sally Schneider's "A New Way To Cook" and is a slightly reduced-fat version of traditional hummus. (This recipe makes loads, by the way.) Alas, once I'd finished blitzing it in the food processor I decided that it wasn't quite to my tastes and wound up processing in more lemon juice and some extra-virgin olive oil to create a thick, tangy puree.
I'll definitely add toasted cumin and coriander when I next make hummus, but I'll probably improvise all the other quantities. I'm thinking now that there's little point in having a rigid recipe for hummus - everyone seems to like it made in different ways. A vague method would be much better!
Hummus, from "A New Way To Cook"
Serves 8(!!)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
� teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tins chickpeas (~400g each), drained
3 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or large flaked sea salt)
pinch of cayenne pepper
125ml water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
chopped coriander leaves and slivered lemon zest to decorate
Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying-pan until fragrant Crush coarsley in a mortar wiht a pestle, or use a spice grinder. Toast the sesame seeds until golden; crush in the mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Transfer the chickpeas to a food processor. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, crushed spices, sesame seeds and the water. Turn the food processor on and add the liquid mixture a tablespoon at the time until a smooth puree is formed.
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This looks delicious! I seem to be eating a lot of chickpeas lately...I may need to steal this!
1. Posted by Lenn Thompson on November 21, 2007
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Hello Angela! I absolutely agree with you, there really is nothing that comes close to homemade hummus. Besides, it is so easy to make! I put lots of garlic on mine. My neighborhood bakery sells a homemade version with curry that's divine. Great pic by the by! :-) Viv
2. Posted by Seattle Bon Vivant on November 21, 2007
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Hello Angela,
I love chickpeas and could eat them plain. I have tried making hummus at home without much success. Mine came out like cookie dough. It wasn't of spreadable consistency at all. I just kept on adding olive oil and tahini until the mixture became too rich. What gives? Looking at your recipe, I realized that the recipes I've been using didn't call for water. I will try that next time. Thanks for sharing! Btw, I prefer to cook my chickpeas rather than buy the canned ones. Do you think that would have also made a difference?
3. Posted by Shirley on November 21, 2007
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Looks great! I think you're right, hummus, much like guacamole -- everyone likes it a little differently.
4. Posted by jennifer on November 21, 2007
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Hi Angeline, thanks for the wonderful hummus recipe. If you recalled, I asked for a recipe on this some time back.
I tried making it without the tahini, but I guess I have added the cumin too sparingly, cos' the smell of cumin is quite overpowering in the end.
Oh yes, remember the lemon posset which you suggested to turn into an ice-cream. I did. I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence and more sugar. It tasted great!
5. Posted by Jolin on November 21, 2007
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Hi Lenn! Feel free to steal it!! It's a good starting point for hummus, but for me it needed definite tweaking :)
Hi Viv! Thanks for stopping by :) Adding curry sounds like a fun experiment... maybe I'll try that next time.
Hi Shirley! I found that it became quite doughy too. Since you're processing it quite quickly some of the oil in the tahini (and the olive oil too, if you've added that) will emulsify with the water in the chickpeas (like mayonnaise basically). I thinned it back down with extra lemon juice and more water. As you cook your own chickpeas, you could thin it down with some of the cooking liquor instead of the water.
Hi Jennifer! Thanks for stopping by :) Dips seem to be really personal, everyone likes them differently.
Hi Jolin! Great news about the lemon posset. If you make the hummus without tahini then I'd suggest adding some crushed, toasted sesame seeds so that you get a little sesame flavour into it.
6. Posted by Angela on November 21, 2007
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I made hummus from scratch a few months ago--I was on an obsessed rage to get it right. I have to say getting dried chickpeas, soaking and cooking them made the dip sublime!
7. Posted by Jeanne on November 21, 2007
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Wow! I'm really impressed! I haven't had much luck finding a store bought hummus that tasted good to me, but this definately inspires me to try making my own! Looks beautfiul! :D
8. Posted by AJ on November 21, 2007
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this looks gorgeous! I love hummus, but like you, have never gotten around to making my own. I'm sure home-made does taste vastly different from store-bought... I'm going to snitch this recipe and give it a go ; )
thanks for sharing!
9. Posted by Renee on November 21, 2007
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I have made hummus many times in my life - from several different cookbooks - and it is never exactly like I used to eat it in middle eastern restaurants in Brooklyn Heights. But after many years of making it, I adapted a very spicy recipe for it and became slightly famous for it. I was filmed for TV Food Networks show Eat the Heat a few years back making my hummus and then arriving at the Hot Luck (a chile-head version of a Pot Luck) with the famed hummus. It has 2 kinds of chile powder in it and is amazingly hot. Of course, if you don't like chiles, then omit them.
I've found that hummus has to be played with. You add some olive oil, then a bit of lemon juice, taste, and then add again. Of course, the best part is drizzling olive oil over the top and then digging in. Warm pita bread is a must.
Your version looks quite good. I just might try it. I love hummus and have since I was 16. Many years since that first taste but it stayed in my brain.
You can find my recipe at my website in the archives. It is called Risa's Kick Butt Hummus.
It was also on the TV Food Network's website for awhile when the show was on tv.
Anyway, I hope you try it, or at least adapt it. It is a great recipe. I find that lower fat versions are not as full of flavor as the full fat - which is logical - as fat brings flavor.
RisaG
10. Posted by RisaG on November 21, 2007
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Wow, looks like everyone loves hummus!
Hi Jeanne - I'd love to make hummus with freshly cooked chickpeas someday. Alas, we live in a hard-water area and it's impossible to get beans cooked to a nice tender texture :(
Hi AJ - thanks for the compliment! It's really easy to make, just keep tweaking the flavours....
Hi Renee - good luck with the recipe :) I'll definitely keep making my own, especially since I can't think of anything else to do with the tahini.
Hi Risa - thanks for stopping by! Your hummus recipe looks really firey but good. How wonderful that the Food Network filmed you and the Hot Luck. I wonder what it would be like with some smoked paprika too...
11. Posted by Angela on November 21, 2007