When we were having our honeymoon in Greece years ago, hummus was one item I always had to order at all the eateries we went (tzatziki was the other). I just can’t get enough of this creamy, garlicky and zesty dip. I love to spread it on warm toasty pieces of pita bread or just eat it on its own. Hummus actually means “chickpeas” in Arabic. In terms of nutrition, this humble-looking dip is high in protein, fibre and has a solid reputation as one of the healthiest foods in the clean-eating community.
Beautiful Santorini (picture taken with no filter at all)
Wish I was there again…
There are myriad ways to flavor hummus, some of the interesting ones I came across were sweet potato, spicy avocado, Thai Coconut Curry, etc. How wild is that? Today, I’m going to show you the quick and easy way to making a traditional easy and smooth hummus with the few basic ingredients.
One of the foreign ingredient that might throw you off is Tahini. Tahini is basically a paste made from hulled sesame seeds and olive oil. It is responsible for binding the hummus together and lends another layer of flavor to the dip. You could easily find them in grocery stores like Cold Storage, Marketplace or NTUC Finest, etc. I chose to make it myself since it is more economical and oh-so-easy-to-make. Your hummus will still taste good without the use of Tahini, however, the texture will be looser and the flavor will not be as complexed.
Ingredients:
1 can 15 oz. (425 g) garbanzo beans / chickpeas – rinsed and drained
¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice (approx. from 1 lemon)
¼ cup (60 ml) store-bought Tahini paste or Homemade (click here)
½ tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic – roughly chopped
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt (or more depending on your taste)
2 – 3 tbsp drinking water
Serves 4 – 6 (snack portion)
Recipe source: Inspired Taste
The line up.
In a food processor, add in tahini paste and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth for 1 min.
Add in chopped garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil and pulse for another 1 min, scrapping down the sides in between.
Add in half the chickpeas and process for 1 min.
Scrap down the sides and add in the rest of the chickpeas. Give it another whirl to smoothen it for 1 min. Give it a taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if necessary.
At this point, the hummus will look thick and coarse. With the food processor running, drizzle in 2 – 3 tbsp water and let it blend into the hummus. The consistency should be smooth and creamy.
To serve, put hummus in a plate or bowl and drizzle about 1 tbsp olive oil on top. Sprinkle with paprika. You could eat it at room temperature or chilled.
Store them in air-tight containers / jars and keep them refrigerated for up to a week.
- 1 can 15 oz. (425 g) garbanzo beans / chickpeas – rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice (approx. from 1 lemon)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) store-bought Tahini paste or Homemade (click here)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic – roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt (or more depending on your taste)
- 2 – 3 tbsp drinking water
- In a food processor, add in tahini paste and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth for 1 min.
- Add in chopped garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil and pulse for another 1 min, scrapping down the sides in between.
- Add in half the chickpeas and process for 1 min.
- Scrap down the sides and add in the rest of the chickpeas. Give it another whirl to smoothen it for 1 min. Give it a taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if necessary.
- At this point, the hummus will look thick and coarse. With the food processor running, drizzle in 2 - 3 tbsp water and let it blend into the hummus. The consistency should be smooth and creamy.
- To serve, put hummus in a plate or bowl and drizzle about 1 tbsp olive oil on top. Sprinkle with paprika. You could eat it at room temperature or chilled.
- Store them in air-tight containers / jars and keep them refrigerated for up to a week.
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