Sauces

Hummus

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Hummus is an Arabic word for Chickpeas. It is made by cooking chickpeas (commonly known as garbanzo beans) until soft and spicing them up with paprika, olive oil, garlic, and lemon to provide a protein-rich breakfast, typically eaten with flatbread. Technically, soft creamy chickpeas are called hummus bi tahini in Arabic, which means chickpeas with tahini.

In the Arab world, hummus is more than an occasional breakfast dip or appetizer. Hummus is a staple food, a daily diet of hummus with bread and olives, and olive oil is a common sight at any cafe or tea shop. It is a nourishing staple perfected over the centuries.

Today most Arabs buy it in shops. So gone are the good old days of homemade hummus. Instead, it is often served alongside flatbread and plates of fresh salads, pickled vegetables, and falafel. Traditionally hummus preparation results in a lemony, creamy paste, with some garlic paste and a touch of a few spices like cumin powder and paprika. Arabs typically serve hummus as a creamy, smooth, and slightly thin spread, on a round plate or a shallow bowl, with olive oil drizzled over it.

In the Middle East, it is traditional to eat communally, from a large plate or a common bowl. The polite way to eat is to pick up the hummus from the side of the common bowl nearest to you. Children are taught never to drag their bread across the plate or bowl of hummus. Instead, they hold a small piece of bread to the hummus, pinch it with the bread together, and pick it up into the flatbread fold. This way, you maintain hygiene while eating together.

Hummus

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack Mediterranean
By SS Shiva Serves: 4-5
Prep Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 20 min

Nutritional Benefits: Chickpeas are legumes that contain high-quality plant protein amino acids such as lysine, tryptophan, leucine, methionine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, arginine, glycine, serine, hydroxyproline, vitamins such as vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, K, thiamine, folate, pantothenic acid, betaine, riboflavin and niacin, minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, fluoride, selenium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Therefore, Chickpeas help regulates blood pressure and sugar levels and improve immunity, digestive health, and heart health.

Ingredients

  • 150g/3.5 oz dried chickpeas
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp creamy coconut yogurt (or milk yogurt optional)
  • To garnish (optional): paprika powder, whole chickpeas, and extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1

Soak the chickpeas in warm water overnight with a teaspoon of baking soda. The baking soda aids in softening the chickpeas.

2

Drain out the water and rinse the chickpeas with fresh water.

3

Transfer the chickpeas to a pot and add water; cook on medium-low heat for about one hour or until tender.

4

While the water is boiling, a white foam will appear on the surface. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the foam, mainly toxins.

5

Drain the cooked chickpeas and transfer them to a blender.

6

You can save the Aquafaba (remaining liquid from chickpeas) for making meringues or use it for blending into the soup instead of water.

7

Add lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and tahini to the blender and whisk them into creamy and smooth hummus.

8

Scrape down the rest of the chunky bits of paste on the sides of the blender and blend again until smooth.

9

To keep the hummus consistency thin, add some leftover liquid from chickpea cooking water until a semi-thick consistency is acquired.

10

Adjust the seasonings according to your taste by adding more lemon juice, salt, or paprika.

11

Transfer hummus to a shallow bowl, pour olive oil over the hummus, garnish with whole chickpeas and a sprinkle of paprika, and serve with flatbread.

12

You can store it in a container for a few weeks at under 4 degrees celsius in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

  • 229 Calories
  • 6.1g Carbohydrates
  • 23.1g Fat
  • 0.7g Fiber
  • 1.9g Protein
  • 3.9g Saturated fat
  • 470mg Sodium
  • 4.3g Sugar

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