Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dish, made with cooked and mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. It is commonly enjoyed as a dip, spread or a snack.
A well made hummus has a lusciously smooth, creamy texture and an earthy, nutty and tangy flavor from chickpeas, tahini and lemon.
Main Ingredients for Hummus
This humble yet delicious spread can be made with just a few ingredients in a very short time. While store bought hummus seems more convenient, a batch of fresh homemade hummus is far more superior than the store bought versions in both the taste as well as the nutrition quotient.
The following are the main ingredients used for making hummus :
- Chickpeas – White chickpeas, also known garbanzo beans (safed chana in Hindi), are the base and the star of this dish. You can use boiled or canned chickpeas for making this hummus.
- Tahini – Tahini is a paste made by blending roasted sesame seeds with oil to a creamy consistency. Some people consider tahini to be an optional ingredient, but I don’t recommend skipping it, since it gives the characteristic nutty flavor to the hummus. If you do not have tahini at home, you can just add powdered roasted sesame seeds to the hummus.
- Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves of finely minced garlic add a little bit of spice and zest to the hummus. If you find the flavor of the garlic to be too sharp, you can let it soak for a few mins in lemon juice and salt mixture to make it lose some of the bite.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds tanginess to the hummus. You can start with the juice of 1 lemon and add more later to adjust the flavor as per your liking.
- Olive Oil – Blending some olive oil with the hummus gives it a nice creamy texture. You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil on the top to bring out more flavors.
- Cumin Powder – This is optional, however, adding some cumin powder can also further enhance flavor of hummus. Feel free to customize it based on your liking.
Tips to Make a Smooth Creamy Hummus
While hummus is a relatively easy dish to make, since all you need to do is throw a few ingredients together and blend them, there are a few steps you can follow to go from making a good hummus to the great quality hummus. Let me share my tips below:
- If you are boiling the chickpeas at home, make sure to cook them till they are really soft and mushy. If they are hard, you will not be able to make a smooth paste.
- You can add a pinch of baking soda while cooking the chickpeas to make them softer. However I have skipped this step to keep the sodium content low, and just cooked the chickpeas for a longer time.
- If using canned chickpeas, drain their liquid and rinse them well under water to remove the metallic flavors. I also recommend boiling the canned chickpeas for 15-20 minutes to make them soft enough to grind smoothly.
- In order to make a smooth & silky hummus, you can remove the skin of the chickpeas, specially for the canned ones. To do this, toss them around in a container after boiling till the skin comes loose and then fill it with water so the skin floats up. If you have a powerful enough blender, you can skip this step to save some time.
- When making the hummus, blend the tahini with some olive oil as the first step to make it fluffy and creamy.
- You can use some ice cubes while blending the hummus to make it fluffier. If not, ice cold water works well too.
Variations of Hummus
While I am a huge fan of freshly made plain hummus, there are various flavorings and ingredients that you can add to your hummus for some change and extra flavor :
- Jalapenos Hummus – blend 1-2 jalapenos with the hummus for a spicy flavor.
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – blend some roasted red pepper with the hummus and add a few strips on top as garnish.
- Curry powder Hummus – Add a teaspoon of curry powder to add some Indian flavors.
- Green Hummus – blend greens like spinach or kale along with herbs parsley or basil with the hummus.
- Beetroot Hummus – add some beetroot to your hummus for a beautiful bright pink color.
Nutritional Value
Hummus is a really healthy snack thanks to the use of healthy ingredients like chickpeas, tahini and olive oil.
Chickpeas are a great source of complex carbohydrates, plant based protein as well as fiber. A serving of hummus will leave you satisfied for a long time after eating. They are also rich in calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins.
Tahini is high in healthy fats, amino acids along with essential vitamins and minerals and may help reduce cholesterol & blood pressure. Olive oil is also packed with heart healthy fats and powerful antioxidants, making hummus a healthy and fulfilling dish.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
Hummus can be served as a dip along side toasted pita bread, falafel, or vegetable sticks. You can also use it as spread in sandwiches, wraps or add it to salads.
Hummus tastes best when it’s fresh and at room temperature. However, you can store hummus in the refrigerator in an airtight container for upto a week.
To make chickpea hummus at home, follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below.
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Hummus Recipe | Chickpea Hummus With Tahini
Recipe Info
Equipment
Ingredients For Hummus Recipe | Chickpea Hummus With Tahini
For Cooking the Chickpeas
- 1 Cup White Chickpeas (Safed Chane)
- 3 Cups Water
- 2 Teaspoon Salt
For Making the Hummus
- 1/4 Cup Tahini
- 2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder)
For Garnishing
- 2 Tablespoon White Chickpeas (Safed Chane) cooked
- 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika or Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Parsley Leaves
Step By Step Instructions for Hummus Recipe | Chickpea Hummus With Tahini
- Soak the chickpeas for 6 hours or overnight. Then boil them with some salt and water for 30 mins or till they become soft and mushy. You can also use canned chickpeas.1 Cup White Chickpeas (Safed Chane), 2 Teaspoon Salt, 3 Cups Water
- Let the chickpeas cook and then rinse them with water. You can optionally remove the skins off the chickpeas at this stage, however I have left them on.
- Combine garlic, lemon juice, salt and cumin powder in a food processor. Grind them till the garlic is finely minced.2 Garlic Cloves, 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice, 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder), 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- Add tahini to the food processor along with olive oil and blend for 30 second intervals 2-3 times, to make a smooth fluffy paste.1/4 Cup Tahini, 2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Save a few chickpeas for garnishing and add the rest of the cooked chickpeas in the food processor in small batches along with a few tablespoons of water.
- Grind the chickpeas till smooth, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the hummus.1/4 Cup Water
- Chickpea hummus is ready. Pour it in a platter garnished with cooked chickpeas, olive oil, paprika and parsley. Serve with warm pita bread or veggie sticks.2 Tablespoon White Chickpeas (Safed Chane), 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika or Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 Teaspoon Parsley Leaves, 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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