Hummus is an iconic dish. For the vast majority of the world, this is the staple food, and not just in the Middle East.
Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – March 24, 2021 – Kitchen
Of course, I will not think about where hummus was invented. And even more so I will not talk about where it is tastier. But I will tell you a simple and proven recipe for hummus, which I was taught in Tel Aviv. There are also a lot of them. And the locals say that the first hummus appeared and the most delicious and now it is there. But we do not discuss it.
Prepare the products in advance, because cooking hummus is not an urgent task.
Ingredients:
chickpeas large light – 350 g
tahini paste – 120-150 g
lemon – 1 pc.
Zira (cumin) – 2-3 tsp
garlic – 2-3 cloves
olive oil – 50 g
other spices, if any (sweet ground paprika, chili flakes, zatar, ground turmeric), for serving
salt to taste
Inventory:
blender with sharp knives
a couple of bowls
pan for boiling chickpeas
mortar for spices
Step 1
Cooking hummus begins in a few days – you need to choose and buy chickpeas. If you do not bother, you can take in any nearby store or market. But here I prefer chickpeas grown in Central Asia – so white and large Uzbeks are sold in spice shops. But local chickpeas are also perfect – the main thing is to cook them properly. It should be rinsed well and soaked in cold water. About 5 parts water to 1 part peas. Soak overnight and keep in the refrigerator. At least for the night.
Step 2
Decoction. Here everything is simple – during the night chickpeas absorbed about a third of the water. Boil in the same water as soaked chickpeas. I add in the process of boiling cheese peeled onion. Cook under the lid, over medium heat. There may be noise – such a white foam – it must be collected – because chickpeas contain a large amount of protein – it is logical. We do not salt! Boil well-soaked chickpeas for about an hour – a maximum of one and a half. It is important not to digest – if the peas boil and turn into porridge – hummus will not be tastier. Quite the opposite. When the chickpeas are ready – remove from heat and cool in the liquid.
There is another life hack on how to speed up the process of cooking chickpeas. You can add literally half a teaspoon of baking soda – then the chickpeas will cook faster, but the finished hummus will be a little darker.
Step 3
From boiled chickpeas in the liquid remove the onion – we do not need it. Next, strain the chickpeas, saving all the liquid. This liquid will be useful to us – it is very valuable, and there is even a term for it – aquafab. First, it contains a lot of chickpea flavor, secondly, it contains a lot of protein and benefits of peas, and thirdly, it is so dense that it sticks together. What to cook with aquafab – from meringue without eggs to mayonnaise without eggs. And everything turns out very tasty!
But back to the chickpeas. We strained the peas, saved the liquid. In a blender bowl, first load the liquid ingredients – tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, a little liquid in which cooked chickpeas, garlic (it can be crushed) and beat to get a homogeneous liquid cream. Then add peas to this cream and interrupt now to a homogeneous texture. If necessary – add the liquid to which the chickpeas were cooked.
An important point – hummus should be without lumps, should not be thick. Again, it’s a matter of taste, but the most delicious hummus I ate had a texture like homemade sour cream on Privoz – not very thick and not very thin, a kind of homogeneous smooth cream that is easy to spread on a plate or bread.
When the hummus is ready, the texture is sorted out and there are no lumps – you can add salt and spices.
With spices – a separate issue, but I’ll leave it to your taste. I add vision and salt inside. And sprinkle with zaatar and sweet paprika or sumac. Next – a matter of taste.
What to serve – not to mention all the options – from boiled chicken eggs and chicken giblets, to shawarma with lamb or beef, or with raw chopped vegetables, which you use as a spoon – a stalk of celery, cucumbers, sweet peppers, even raw onions; you can also serve it simply with a spoonful of thyme and olive oil, and you can generally add to the blender to the hummus little baked beets – we get a good burgundy hummus. In general – what the soul desires.
Read also: Cabbage Soup, Step by Step to Reach the Delicious Taste!
Source: Ukrgate