Hummus, made from garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas), is served as an appetizer, side dish or main course in Israel. Today grocery stores in Israel sell a variety of Hummus spreads (with pine nuts, with olive oil and paprika, with zaatar, with tahina...). Hummus tastes best when scooped up by a piece of warm Pita bread.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups dry chick peas
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/3 cup tahina paste (ground sesame seeds)
- juice of 2 lemons
- olive oil
- fresh parsley
Preparation:
1. Put water, soda and beans in a large pot. Soak overnight.2. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft.
3. Drain. Reserve a bit of the cooking liquid. Reserve a few whole beans.
4. Put the beans, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, tahina paste and lemon juice in a food processor. Grind until smooth. If the hummus is too thick and dry, add a bit of the cooking liquid.
5. Put hummus in a closed food container, and refrigerate.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Spoon the hummus on a plate and make a shallow well in the center. Put a little olive oil and the reserved whole chick peas in the well. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and paprika. Serve with warm pita bread.
