Thursday, October 25, 2007

Spicy Hummus


Today I present one of the staples of my kitchen – hummus. I must admit that I usually purchase this from the grocery store, although it is very easy to make. Hummus is common to the cuisines of the Middle East, though I could not find much information about its origins.

This humble spread is incredibly versatile and I eat it regularly as sandwich filling or on toast, even better with fresh or roasted vegetables. It is also great with crackers, fresh or deep-fried pita, falafel and crudités. My friends John and Andrea recently served hummus paired with cubes of feta cheese – a lovely and unusual combination that I highly recommend. And today for lunch I had a hummus and harissa sandwich - a combination suggested by my friend Sarah.

Most store-bought versions have much more oil (and calories) and less zing than this natural version. The only downside is that, without preservatives, this home-made hummus will not last beyond one week in the refrigerator. I wonder if it can be frozen?
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
16 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed (pictured above)
3 tablespoons tahini
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
about 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon paprika, for garnish
sprig of parsley, for garnish

Directions
1. Place the first seven ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until well mixed. Add water as necessary, and add more than 1/2 cup if you prefer it to be less thick.
2. Garnish with paprika and parsley and serve at room temperature.

5 comments:

Suganya said...

Now all I need is some pan-fried zucchini.

Rajitha said...

yum....love hummus..will try paring it with the cheese next time!!

Anonymous said...

Your version looks really spicy. I need few slices of bread to enjoy it. :)

Swaroopa said...

wow nvr heard of it. spicy too. wanna try it soon.

Anonymous said...

Hey Aly!
I made this hummus yesterday and it was delicious!! thanks so much for the awesome recipe.
Hope you are doing well.
take care
munira