Hummus...this or that...no right or wrong!!

While hubby is more interested in the things served with Hummus, I can finish bowls and bowls of Hummus as is (can?? Hah!! HAVE!!)…served as dip or sandwich spread, I can have it anytime in unmentionable quantities…

This was perfect with Pita Burgers 

Hummus

Ingredients:

• Dry Chick peas, 1 cup soaked overnight and cooked, 1 cup
• Tahini/ Sesame seed paste, 2 tbsp
• Garlic cloves, 2
• Lime juice, 1 large, about 3 tbsp juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Roasted Cumin powder, ½ tsp (optional)

Topping:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Paprika or Roasted Cumin powder or Sumac or Zatar (I used Paprika)
• Pine nuts or cooked chick peas or Fresh Parsley (I used Pine nuts)

Instructions:

Wash and soak chickpeas overnight in water.  Drain and wash. Cook in salted water until soft and mushy.

Drain and keep aside. Don’t discard the water the chickpeas were boiled in.

While the chickpeas are still warm, spoon them into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a smooth paste.  Add a few tablespoons of the water saved earlier from boiling chickpeas and blend again.

Remember that hummus tends to become thicker as it cools, so add water keeping this in mind.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Transfer hummus to a serving bowl and add topping of your choice.

Notes:

• No need to panic if you don’t have bottled Tahini and certainly no need to buy specially for making hummus (more so if you make it only occasionally) Just lightly toast 2 tbsp sesame seeds – not to color them but just to warm them up. Blend with about 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the blender to a smooth fine paste before adding rest of the ingredients of the hummus.

• Don’t like Tahini? Don’t have sesame seeds? It’s ok, you can easily skip it and still call it hummus!!  You can add some peanuts or almonds or pine nuts if you want.  Just do want you want – IMO there is no right or wrong