Homemade Hummus

Hummus! Oh Hummus! This is a middle eastern spread made from predominately chickpeas and sesame seeds. I have enjoyed this dish since I was a kid, but I never tried to make it myself until this year. The main change was that I got a food processor for my birthday from a good friend of mine. That helps!

I eat hummus most often as a veggie dip. It is great in sandwiches and as an additional side dish to dinner. I also just recently discover it is quite good in a salad.

To make Hummus, you first soak some chickpeas over night, it is the same processes as I wrote in the Beans post. Then the next day you boil the bloated beans until they are nice and soft.

Once cooked I pour them into the food processor with some of the water from the pot.

I blend them a bit to get them started before I add the other ingredients.

The most important thing is the Tahini, aka Sesame puree. This really helps to smooth out the chickpeas mixture and adds to the flavor.

Tahini is a lot like a natural peanut butter. The sesame oil collects at the top and needs to be mixed back in before it is used.

I have never fallowed a recipe for Hummus word for word. With Hummus I find it is best when I just go by my own taste buds.  But here is a link to a recipe.

Along with the Tahini you also need olive oil and lemon juice for a good Hummus.

I also like to add finely chopped garlic, though this isn't mandatory, but without it the Hummus is pretty bland.

Throw all this in and blend. I usually need to add a little more Tahini or olive oil a few times until I get the right mix. Take your time and don't worry about making mistakes. It is very hard to miss it up, but it might take you a few attempts until you figure out the right mixture.

Though once you do, wallah! Delicious Homemade Hummus!