11 juni 2011

Hummus

Home-made hummus is perfect as a lunch in so many ways. First of all, it is easy to make, secondly, it suits vegetarians, thirdly it can be made into custom-made masterpieces at table, paired with fresh tomatoes, olives, parsley, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, fresh (flat)bread.

My version is not the most traditional, as I make it in a foodprocessor into a smooth puree, instead of grinding it by hand into a rough thick paste, but I am sure I'm not the only one who likes it exactly this way.

A jar of chickpeas (netto weight around 300 g)
2-3 cloves of garlic
a generous glug of olive oil
100-150 ml tahini
juice of half a lemon
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Strain the chickpeas and put them together with garlic, oil, tahini and lemon juice into a foodprocessor and whiz into a smooth (or not so smooth) puree. It if seems too thick, add a bit of oil or a spoonful of cold water to help it along. Season to taste with salt, red pepper flakes and more lemon juice. Sometimes I roast half a teaspoon of ground cumin and coriander seeds in olive oil and add it to the hummus, it gives the dish a nice warm touch.

Garnish with a few chickpeas and a pool of good olive oil and tuck in. Bon appetit!