Hummus with Tatbelah
What started as a Middle Eastern staple has become a global food phenomenon. There are so many recipes for hummus and so many tips to make it smooth. I find that using a powerful food processor, plus first removing the skins on the chickpeas once cooked, can reduce the grainy texture. Other helpful hints include adding ice cubes while you blend and not skimping on good-quality tahini. My family loves to use garlic in this recipe, but when we serve this hummus with the tatbelah (a green chili sauce), which already has garlic, we skip it.
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
Hummus
2 cups dried organic chickpeas
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt, divided
1 cup tahini
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp ground cumin
3 ice cubes
3 large cloves garlic (optional)
Topping
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp each pine nuts and slivered almonds
2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
1 tsp ground sumac or cumin
Tatbeeleh
3 jalapeño or serrano peppers, roughly chopped
⅓ cup lemon juice (zest optional)
4 large cloves garlic, halved
½ tsp salt (approx.)
¼ cup olive oil
Directions
Soaking and cooking the chickpeas
1. Soak the chickpeas in 1 L cold water for 24 hours, then drain and rinse. Add 1 L cold water to the chickpeas, then stir in the baking soda until dissolved. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain and rinse again.
2. Place the chickpeas in a large pot and cover with water. Add 1 tsp of the salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Let stand until lukewarm, then drain preserving the liquid (Aquafaba) for use in other recipes. (At this point, the chickpeas can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.)
Toasting the pine nuts for the topping
1. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of the oil; toast the pine nuts and almonds, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let drain on a paper towel–lined plate.
Finishing the dish
1. In a food processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice and remaining salt until smooth. Add the chickpeas, cumin, ice cubes and garlic (if using), then blend until smooth. If the chickpea mixture is too dry, add ice water, 2 tbsp at a time, blending until smooth and light in colour, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and almonds, parsley and sumac and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Making tatbeeleh (green chili sauce)
1. In a food processor, pulse together the jalapeño peppers, lemon zest and juice, garlic and salt, until chopped to the size of sea salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing a few times until combined. (Add more salt to taste, if desired.)
Did You Know?
Aquafaba (or “bean water”) is the fancy name for that viscous liquid you get when you boil legume seeds, like chickpeas; you’ll find it in canned chickpeas and other beans, too. The ability of chickpea water to mimic egg whites makes it a popular substitute in vegan cooking.