How to make homemade chickpea hummus

Despite the fact that I tried and appreciated hummus many years ago, it took me a while to prepare the right hummus at home. It would seem, well, what is difficult in preparing mashed chickpeas, the same peas. That's what I thought at first, but I was wrong.

Now I can safely say - hummus is simple. If you follow some very simple rules that I have developed from my mistakes. The first and most important thing is not to rush. If you don’t have the time or patience to try hummus faster, it’s better to postpone its preparation altogether until better times. Hummus is made from chickpeas that must be soaked. And not just like regular peas, but until it tastes evenly soft. And it takes at least 12 hours, or even more. Before, I naively thought that chickpeas could well be cooked. Believe me, not always. Of course, this depends on the quality of the peas themselves, but it is better to try and wait. Also, slowly, I boil the chickpeas and try until it crumbles into a tooth, and then I leave it to walk in the water until it cools. And when the chickpeas are properly cooked, consider that half the battle is already done.

The next thing I make sure to do is peel the boiled chickpeas. Despite the fact that the peas themselves fly out of the shell very easily, cleaning them takes time. But it's worth it. Chickpea puree after grinding is smooth and silky.

I use a blender to puree chickpeas. If the peas are very soft, an immersion blender does the job quite well, or I use a container for mashing from a combine. I take my time, let the technique rest, add water and oil, and achieve a smooth hummus.

And finally, the taste of hummus. For me it is zira, coriander, sesame, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Many recipes advise simply adding spices to the puree. I went further. Firstly, I carefully grind the cumin and coriander in a coffee grinder, and then I reveal the aroma of spices and garlic by heating them in olive oil. And only then, I add them to the puree - such hummus turns out to be truly fragrant. I found my ratio of spices in hummus, everyone can choose them to their liking. But there are things that cannot be removed or replaced from hummus - these are sesame paste, zira, lemon, garlic and olive oil. In them, in fact, lies, in addition to the chickpeas themselves, the essence of wonderful hummus.

Ready hummus will keep in the refrigerator for about a week in a sealed glass container. What do we eat hummus with? With cakes, pita bread and even spread on sandwiches. Later, I will definitely write about the recipe for a hummus, carrot and cucumber sandwich, which turns out delicious and is great for a vegetarian diet.

Time: Soaking - 12 hours, boiling - 1.5-2 hours, cooking - 1 hour
Complexity: average

Chickpeas - 1 cup
Olive oil - 70ml
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
Ground coriander - 1 teaspoon
Tahini Sesame Paste - 3 tbsp. spoons
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp. spoons
Salt - 0.5 tsp
Olive oil for serving - 1 tbsp. a spoon

How to Make Chickpea Hummus

Soak chickpeas in cold water. The volume of water should exceed the volume of chickpeas by three or four times, and sometimes you even have to add water. Leave to swell for 12 hours. If the peas, after soaking, crack well and become soft, drain the water, pour clean cold water two fingers above the peas and put on a strong fire. After boiling, reduce the heat to a minimum, remove the foam, cover the pan with a lid and leave to cook until fully cooked for 1.5-2 hours. When the chickpeas become completely soft, turn off the heat, close the lid and leave the peas to reach for another hour.
Grind the zira and coriander in a coffee grinder. Peel and finely chop the garlic. In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil and pour the garlic, cumin and coriander into it. On low heat, stand the spices for about a minute until the smell of spices appears. Turn off the heat and leave the oil to infuse.
Drain the liquid from the pan with chickpeas into a separate container, you will need it to dilute the puree. Remove skin from chickpeas.
Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl for chopping. Add salt, lemon juice and sesame paste. With an immersion blender, puree the chickpeas, gradually adding water (remaining from boiling the peas) little by little.
When the puree has become even, gradually add fragrant oil and continue to beat the hummus until smooth. Be sure to try, add salt or add a little lemon if necessary. Leave the hummus to infuse at room temperature for an hour.
Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a beautiful ceramic cup. In a circular motion of the plate, distribute it on the sides and put the hummus on it. Serve with tortillas. For storage, hummus can be transferred to a glass container with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Hummus keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.

My notes:

In order for hummus to be tender, smooth and flavorful, it is convenient to take your time to cook it on a day off and enjoy it all week. My advice for lovers of peas and pea porridge (I really love plain regular peas). Try the hummus puree recipe. Pea puree turns out to be very fragrant, it is much easier to prepare, but of course it will differ in taste from hummus. I must say that I also really like this pea puree.

I am answering a question that may arise. Can you make hummus with canned chickpeas? Of course you can, but I, having tried to do this (for the sake of saving time and effort), do not do this. Canned chickpeas do not have the same taste and aroma as boiled chickpeas and hummus turns out to be somehow refined, in my opinion.

How I Make Hummus. Details and photos:

I pour the chickpeas into a saucepan and pour cold water over it. Chickpeas increase in volume by about 3-4 times and you even have to add water. I leave the chickpeas to swell for at least 12 hours. I'm trying. If the peas bite well and become soft, I drain the water, fill it with cold water and put it on a strong fire. After boiling, reduce the heat to a minimum, remove the foam, cover the pan with a lid and leave to cook until fully cooked for 1.5-2 hours. When the chickpeas become completely soft, turn off the heat, close the lid and leave the peas to reach for another hour.

I grind zira and coriander in a coffee grinder. Peel and finely chop the garlic. In a small frying pan, I heat the olive oil and pour the garlic, cumin and coriander into it. I stand the spices on a small fire for about a minute until the smell of spices appears. I turn off the fire and leave the oil to infuse.

I drain the liquid from the pan with chickpeas into a separate container, I will need it to dilute the puree. I peel the chickpeas.

I shift the chickpeas into a spacious container for grinding. I add salt, lemon juice and sesame paste. Using an immersion blender, I turn the chickpeas into a puree, gradually and little by little adding water (leftover from boiling the peas).

When the puree has become uniform, I gradually begin to add aromatic oil and continue to beat the hummus until smooth. Be sure to try, add salt or add a little more lemon if necessary. I leave the hummus to infuse at room temperature for an hour.

I pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a beautiful ceramic cup. In a circular motion of the plate, I distribute it on the sides and spread the hummus on it. I serve with cakes.