Hummus Recipe - Quick & Healthy Spread

I discovered pita bread and hummus when I was in Google Hyderabad. We had a salad bar with all these crunchy, fresh vegetables and a bowl of creamy hummus with warm, oven-fresh pita bread right next to it. It wasn't really a popular choice since our lunch buffet had much more appealing dishes but practically every other day, I used to make a pita sandwich with some lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber and a generous spread of hummus.


Those were the days that I could get hummus without going through the trouble of making it myself but now things are different. So last weekend, I set out to the task myself. I started with a Google Search for 'hummus recipe' and was quite surprised to see a site dedicated only to hummus! It was mentioned there that making hummus takes practise even if you are following recipes religiously. I beg to differ. My hummus came out really well and though next time I may blend it until creamy, I still didn't mind the coarse texture of it this time.

One ingredient you will surely need is good-quality Tahini. I got mine from NTUC FairPrice in Singapore. I don't remember the brand name now but tahini is definitely available here in Singapore.

If you want to prepare the hummus without tahini then you can avoid it, which will of course affect the flavour but the end product is still creamy and delicious. Sometimes, kids are allergic to tahini so follow the hummus recipe without tahini.

What I Used:

Chickpeas - 1 cup, washed and soaked in water overnight or atleast 8 hours
Tahini - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1/2 tsp, minced
Cumin / jeera / jeerakam - 1/2 tsp, crushed (I used cumin powder)
Salt - to taste
Olive oil / sesame oil - 1 tbsp

How I Made It:

1. Wash the soaked chickpeas well and drain water completely.

2. Pressure cook until soft (3 whistles) in sufficient water. If you don't have a pressure cooker, transfer the chickpeas to a pot and add water until it is well covered. Cook until the chickpeas are soft and mash easily. This should take about 30-40 mins. Do not add salt while cooking the chickpeas as this will harden them.

3. Drain the water used for chickpeas and keep aside. Blend the chickpeas until smooth, adding little water if too thick.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients (except oil) and continue to blend until you get a smooth, thick paste that is of spreading consistency. If too thick, add very little water at a time from the water used to cook the chickpeas.

5. Make sure you mix the oil in before serving!

I didn't buy pita bread so I served it with some home made white bread (recipe coming soon!)

I am sending this hummus recipe to Ramya's Chutney/Dip Mania and MS's JFI - Chickpeas.