Hummus

Given my heritage its no surprise that I love hummus. Its just so quick and versatile. I can bring it to class with me when my lectures run through lunch, it makes a quick snack after work with some veggies, and can even be used as a spread on toast. It's also easy to customize and there are so many variations you can make.

This is the essential hummus recipe. No crazy add-ins or spices, but still flavourful. A smooth and silky texture thats perfect for scooping, spreading, and spooning.

It took me a while to be able to create good hummus at home. I had been making it with canned chickpeas but I could never get a good texture, it always turned out sort of lumpy. I found the answer in one of my favourite cookbooks Jerusalem, from the owners of the restaurant Ottolenghi in London. If you haven't checked out their books yet, I would definitely recommend!

Their method uses dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and then boiled with a bit of baking soda. This roughs up the outer skin of the chickpeas, allowing them to blend up super smooth. I used this method then adjusted to rest of the ingredients to suit my tastes. I use about 1/4 of the tahini called for and cut back on the garlic. I want to be able to taste the garlic but I hate when the flavour lingers in your mouth all day, and using less tahini cuts back on fat while still achieving a great texture.

But as I mentioned before the best part about making hummus yourself is that you can adjust it to your own taste. This hard-working dip is a staple in middle eastern diets, and in mine too.

makes 3 cups

1 1/4 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

6 cups of water

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh

1 tsp kosher salt

3 cloves of garlic

3 tbsp of ice water

1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water at least twice their volume and leave to soak overnight.

2. The next day place soaked chickpeas and baking soda in a large pot over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.

3. Add in the 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming the foam and any skins that rise to the surface until the chickpeas are soft and can be squished between two fingers. About 20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and allow to cool.

4. Place the chickpeas in a food processor or blender, and process until they form a thick paste. Add in the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and salt and process to combine. Add in the ice water 1 tbsp a a time and let the processor run for about 5 minutes. The hummus will turn a pale colour and will be airy and smooth.

4. Transfer hummus to a bowl and allow to rest for at least 1/2 an hour before eating. The hummus will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.