Hummus

Directions

DRIED CHICKPEAS

1. The night before: Soak the chickpeas in 3x as much water, plus 1 tablespoon of baking soda over night, or for 12 hours.
2. Rinse the chickpeas very well under running cold water, pick out any discoloured ones.
3. Drain and add the chickpeas plus 1 tablespoon of baking soda to a large pot. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. This softens the skins of the chickpeas.
4. Add 3x as much water to the pot and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that surfaces to the top. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. The chickpeas should be very tender and completely falling apart. Drain; set aside to cool.

HUMMUS

1. In a food processor add the lemon juice, garlic and salt, and pulse till the garlic is completely dissolved (about 1 minute).
2. Add the chickpeas and process until mixture is completely smooth (around 4 mins).
3. While the food processor is still running add the cumin, then slowly stream in the tahini. Thin with ice cold water for a looser consistency. The hummus should be very smooth and easy to spread.
4. To serve dollop desired amount into a shallow bowl. Using the back of the spoon make a well and drizzle the center with extra virgin olive oil. You can garnish hummus with almost anything from fried chickpeas to minced meat (hummus b-lahmeh) to tomatoes and parsley.