Greek hummus is a myth
Hummus is a dish that everybody thinks of as quintessentially Greek. This used to confuse me when I used to go to Greece as a child… I would wonder if I was somehow missing it on the menus… or maybe if it had a different name in Greek? For most Greek restaurants in the UK, hummus is one of the most popular dishes on the menu. Later, I realised that this is because many Greek restaurants in the UK, are actually Cypriot Greek. In Cyprus, hummus is a staple in both Greek and Turkish communities, but in Greece, it is not traditional. The perception of hummus as being Greek, originates from Greek Cypriots. In fact, it is a particularly Middle Eastern dish, and is a staple in countries such as Lebanon, Syria or Palestine. It is also very popular in North African countries such as Egypt.
Homemade hummus is heavenly
I have to say that I also didn’t particularly like hummus as a child. It is available in most supermarkets in the UK, and not all of them do it justice. The turning point was visiting a vegetarian friend’s house as a teenager. She had made homemade hummus, and wow, what a delicious dish it was… I could hardly resist wolfing down the whole bowl. Since then I have developed a great love of hummus. I make it at least once a week at home, and it really is just so versatile. It’s great as a dip, great as a mezes dish with other small dishes, great in wraps, in sandwiches, with roast vegetables… you name it, hummus will own it!
Dried is best, but tinned is for a quick fix
I prefer to use dried chickpeas, as I find that the end result is creamier and has more flavour (they need to be soaked overnight and then cooked until soft). Although tinned chickpeas contain the same vitamins and minerals as dried chickpeas, they lose much of them during the preserving process. Sometimes however, I am in a rush or just want a quick snack, so I use tinned chickpeas. If you do use tinned, make sure that you purchase organic tinned chickpeas that do not have extra sugar or salt added.
Hummus
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Ingredients
- 120g dried chickpeas (or 1 tin, rinsed)*
- 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp. tahini
- 3 tbsp. olive oil, plus a little more to garnish
- 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice, to taste
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 3/4 tsp. cumins seeds, toasted & ground*
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp. water
Instructions
- Place the dried chickpeas in a bowl with the bicarbonate soda, and cover generously with cold water – they will expand more than you think. Cover the bowl and leave to soak overnight.
- The next day, rinse the chickpeas thoroughly, then place in a pot with clean water and bring to the boil.
- Skim off any scum that comes to the surface, and reduce to a simmer.
- Cooking times can vary quite drastically, so cook for 1-2 hours and check occasionally to see if they are soft and creamy. You don’t want them to be grainy, but you also don’t want to overcook them, as they will become too mushy.
- Once they are cooked, add a generous pinch of salt. Then, drain them, place in a bowl and allow to cool.
- Place the cooked or tinned chickpeas in the jug of a stick blender. A standup blender can also be used, but I find it does not blend as easily.
- Add the tahini, olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, garlic, flat leaf parsley, cumin, a pinch of cayenne pepper and some salt and freshly ground black pepper to the jug.
- Using a stick blender, blitz till smooth and creamy, adding 2-3 tbsp. water as needed. Taste, and add more lemon juice or salt and pepper if necessary.
- Place the hummus in a dip bowl. Using the back of a spoon, flatten it in a swirling motion. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
*If you are using dried chickpeas, you will need to soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. Adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda helps to soften the skins and allows them to fully absorb the water. Before cooking, rinse them thoroughly and place in a pot of clean water. This washes away any dirt, the bicarbonate of soda and the indigestible sugars that have been released overnight. Lastly, try not to add salt until the end of the cooking process, as this could prevent them from softening. *Most whole spices release an oil which quickly loses potency when exposed to the air. Ground spices have a much larger surface area and lose this oil much quicker. For the optimum flavour, you should toast whole spices on a medium dry heat, then grind them yourself.
