Recipe and images by Julie Le Clerc
There’s hummus and then there’s hummus!
Hummus is a staple dish from the Middle East, where it has been relished since ancient times. Its popularity spread far and wide, and today it’s enjoyed worldwide. The word hummus in Arabic means chickpea, but the tasty dish we know and love is actually hummus bi tahini, made from chickpeas blended with tahini. Although it may seem like a simple dish, there are a few key tricks to making the most delicious, silky-smooth hummus.
According to an old Arabic saying, hummus takes mere minutes to prepare but years to perfect. Inspired by this notion, I set off on a mission to create the ultimate hummus recipe. During my extensive travels throughout the region, I met many people who were convinced that their hummus – or perhaps their mother’s version – was the best. I was fortunate to learn some valuable secrets first-hand from authentic home cooks, which made all the difference to my own version.
My aim to develop the ultimate hummus recipe had two main parts. Firstly, fine-tuning the taste was straightforward because this can be heightened and brightened by adding a touch more earthy tahini, sour lemon juice, pungent garlic, or flavour-enhancing salt, until well-balanced.
Therefore, my main goal was to improve the texture of my hummus and make it as dreamily smooth as possible. There are differing opinions on how to achieve the perfect creamy texture, most of which centre around how the chickpeas are cooked. Some people even recommend peeling the chickpeas, but I feel life is too short for that sort of palaver.
Traditional recipes typically call for dried chickpeas that must be soaked overnight and boiled for a long time until very tender. I wanted to shorten this process for modern day home cooks and discovered that by using canned chickpeas and a couple of surprisingly simple steps, you can still produce hummus with a luscious, super-creamy texture.
Start by cooking canned chickpeas a second time until they collapse easily – the softness of the chickpeas is crucial to a silky result. A little baking soda in the cooking water will soften the skins, so you won’t even need to think about peeling them. Blitz the chickpeas while they’re still warm, as this helps them amalgamate smoothly. The bonus here is that eating warm hummus is a true revelation!
Another tip is to add a little ice-cold water to the hummus at the end of processing; this reacts with the tahini and smooths it out. Finally, to achieve a lovely whipped consistency, be sure to blend everything together for longer than you might expect.
One of the things I love about homemade hummus is that all of the ingredients can usually be found in your pantry, making this an easy dip to whip up for impromptu gatherings, parties, picnics, lunchboxes, and suchlike. Hummus is incredibly versatile too; it can be served warm or cold, as a dip or spread, or as a base for substantial toppings, like shawarma-spiced lamb, to create a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.
HUMMUS BI TAHINI
Makes about 1½ cups
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ tsp baking soda
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
½–1 tsp fine salt, added to your liking
3–4 tbsp lemon juice (from 1–2 lemons)
¼ cup hulled tahini
2–3 tbsp ice-cold water, as needed
TO SERVE:
Extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil, to drizzle
Ground sumac or paprika, to dust
Sprigs of parsley
Put the chickpeas in a pot, add the baking soda and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very soft and their skins are falling off.
Drain the chickpeas and, while still warm, transfer to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender. Process to puree, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. It’s important that the chickpeas form a paste at this stage before the other ingredients are added.
Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice and blend well. Add the tahini and blend to combine. The tahini will make the mixture seize up – to thin, add 1 tablespoon ice-cold water at a time and blend for 2–3 minutes more until smooth and creamy. Be careful not to add more than 3 tablespoons water, as too much can split the mixture.
Taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking with a little extra salt and/or lemon juice, as needed, to reach a balanced flavour.
To serve, transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to form a deep swirl on top. Drizzle olive oil into the swirl. Top with garnishes of your choice. Serve with vegetables and flatbread, to dip. Leftover hummus keeps well, covered in the fridge, for up to a week.
LOADED HUMMUS WITH SHAWARMA-SPICED LAMB
Serves 4
The creamiest hummus gets even better when loaded with an authentic topping of shawarma-spiced lamb mince. Serve this as a meal, with a salad on the side and lots of pita bread to scoop up every last morsel.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
350g lamb mince (or beef mince, if preferred)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sumac
¼ tsp chilli powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE:
1 batch of hummus bi tahini (see previous recipe)
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
handful torn mint leaves
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
pomegranate arils, if available
extra virgin olive oil
pita bread
Heat a little oil in a frying pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened. Turn up the heat to high, add the mince, spices and a little salt.
Cook for about 5–7 minutes, breaking up the mince into small pieces, until browned and cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
To serve, spread hummus into a shallow serving dish. Pile the lamb on top and scatter over the pine nuts. Sprinkle with mint and parsley, and pomegranate arils, if available. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with warmed flatbread on the side.