Hummus
I learned to make delicious hummus from Chef Nir Feller in Tel Aviv. It really makes a difference if you cook dried chickpeas, instead of using the ones in a tin. It takes some time to cook them, but you can cook a huge batch and freeze them for use later. Be sure to freeze the cooking liquid separately to use also. Another important ingredient is the tahini, which should be organic 100% tahini with no additives. I order Har Bracha Tahini from Israel online because I think it tastes the best.
Ingredients
Makes 3 Cups
Hummus:
2 cups dried chickpeas
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
olive oil
Process
Put chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with 8 cups cold water. Soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Drain the chickpeas, transfer to a medium saucepan, and add 8 cups water. Bring to a simmer, skimming off any foam or skins that rise to the top. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are tender but not mushy, about 45 minutes. It could take longer.
Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Also reserve ¼ cup of the chickpeas for garnish. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth, adding the reserved water, ¼ cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Makes about 3 cups. Keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
