Creamy Hummus

When dining out, Mediterranean cuisine is the most popular choice among my family members for a number of reasons – it’s healthy, not too spicy ( we love spicy food but my daughters can’t handle even slightly spicy food) and there are lots of meat/chicken options to choose from ( my husband is a big meat lover). There are a number of great halal Mediterranean restaurants in and around Toronto to choose from. However, every once in a while I do choose to make some Mediterranean dishes at home . Hummus is one such dish which I often make at home. It’s a good source of protein and dietary fiber , low in fat too. The olive oil in hummus helps to reduce cholesterol levels.

Hummus forms a great snack when served with pita bread ( preferably whole wheat). It can also be served as a tasty dip for veggies like cucumbers, baby carrots, grape tomatoes etc. It’s an extremely healthy and convenient choice for lunchboxes.I also like to use it as a spread for sandwiches sometimes. My elder daughter is severely allergic to sesame seeds though, so I’m thinking of trying a sesame free version by adding yogurt instead of tahini.

My husband prefers hummus as part of lunch/dinner along with pita bread, grilled chicken/kebabs and salad.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked chickpeas ( canned/soaked overnight and boiled)
3 tbsp tahini ( sesame paste)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Salt ( according to taste)

For garnishing :
Few chickpeas
Paprika and cumin powder
Olive oil
Chopped parsley

Method:
1) Drain the boiled chickpeas and reserve the liquid for blending. If using canned chickpeas,  drain the liquid, rinse with fresh water, add some water and boil for  about 5-10 minutes to make them a bit more tender. Reserve the liquid after boiling. Also, reserve a few chickpeas for garnishing.

2) Blend chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor/ blender along with some of the liquid left after boiling the chickpeas. Keep mixing and adding more liquid till a smooth and spreadable consistency is achieved. Hummus tends to dry up after a while , so right before serving , stir and check the consistency. If it seems dry, add some more olive oil and mix well.

3) Garnish with olive oil, paprika, cumin and  chopped parsley. For kids cumin and paprika can be avoided.

This recipe was chosen as one of the Featured Recipes for the Month Of September at Taste of Pearl City.

This recipe was sent to Anyone Can Cook Series 34 at Taste of Pearl City