In the last few years, as hummus has become more and more popular in the U.S. and Europe, many new brands of hummus have appeared in grocery stores. Many stores offer local, artesian Hummus brands, and Whole Foods and Trader Joe's even sell a store-brand Hummus. Though some of these newer brands taste pretty damn good, they don't even come close to fresh, home-made hummus.
Now you're probably thinking: "that sounds complicated!". Well, wrong you are. Making hummus is actually very simple. The technique is very easy to follow and the real secret to perfect hummus is actually in the seasoning. Well, not ONLY the seasoning, but seasoning is VERY IMPORTANT.
Before we actually start making the hummus, first I want to tell you a little bit about this wonderful dish (I want you to build up an appetite :) ).
So what is hummus, really? In Arabic and Hebrew, the word "Hummus" literally means "chickpeas" (garbanzo beans), which is the main ingredient in the dish (though a fava bean-based version also exists). Chickpeas, btw, are considered a great source of dietary fiber, protein, B vitamins, manganese and other nutrients.
Hummus originated in Egypt and Levant and is common today in Syria, Jordan, Israel, The Palestinian Territories and Lebanon, among others, both as a main dish and as an appetizer or a spread. Hummus can be combined with meat or vegetables like mushrooms, and is usually served cold, though an even more delicious warm version, called "Msabbacha", also exists. In the Mediterranean, Hummus as a main dish is served in a plate with Pita bread, pickles and olives served on the side. Sometimes a hard boiled egg, live onion and hot sauce also accompany the hummus.
Hummus served with fresh onion and spicy sauce
Hummus and msabbacha are made from the same ingredients. Both are made of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon and garlic, and the difference is in the texture and the serving temperature. While Hummus has smooth consistency and is served cold, msabbacha is made with whole chickpeas and has a coarse, chunky consistency, and is served warm.
Flavoured hummus is an American invention and hummus with various flavors like avocado, artichoke or bell pepper is usually not available in Mediterranean countries.
OK, enough talking!
Let's get down to business and make some great hummus!
Ingredients:
Must have:
- 1 Can of garbanzo beans
- Tahini - about half cup
- Garlic - 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, mashed
- Olive oil - about 4 spoons
- Fresh lemon juice - 3/4 cup
- Salt - to taste
Optional (yet highly encouraged) seasoning:
- Chopped parsley
- Cumin powder
- Paprika powder
Preparation:
1) Cook the garbanzo beans on the stove top in their own water until soft. If you are using canned garbanzo use the water from the can for the cooking. Cooking should take around 20-30 minutes. When the garbanzo beans are soft and their skin starts coming off, their ready. If you are using dry garbanzo beans, you need to soak them in water for a night, and then use the water when cooking the beans. Move the beans into a bowl
* Keep some while cooked beans on the side for later
* Don't throw out the cooking water (!), you'll use some of it later on.
2) Add the tahini, mashed garlic, lemon juice, salt and 2-3 spoons of the cooking water to the garbanzo beans. Mix all the ingredients together.
3) Decide now if you want to make hummus or msabbacha:
For hummus, finely grind the mixture and serve with the intact whole beans you set aside before, drizzled olive oil, finely chopped parsley and some cumin and sweet paprika on top. Serve cold.
For msabbacha, manually mash the beans (as if you were making mashed potatoes) to a pretty coarse consistency. Place the whole cooked beans you set aside before on top. Serve warm with drizzled olive oil, finely chopped parsley and cumin and paprika on top.
4) Warm up a pita bread
5) ENJOY!