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Hummus bi Tahina

By Kurma Dasa on 2 Jan 2010
Image: Kurama dasa
Chickpeas and sesame, the crops from which hummus's main ingredients are taken, were known and cultivated in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern worlds.

Homemade hummus is much, much better than any shop-bought version, unless you are purchasing the freshly made product from a traditional middle-eastern suppler.

Many cuisine-related sources carry forward a folklore which describes hummus as one of the oldest known prepared foods with a long history in the Middle East stretching back to antiquity, but its historical origins are unknown.

Truly authentic hummus is made from freshly soaked, boiled and peeled chickpeas - not as daunting as it sounds! If that's all too hard, buy canned chickpeas, and proceed from there; but the result will definitely be inferior.

Here in Australia, I use the Ord River chickpeas from Western Australia. When cooked they produce big, soft creamy-textured chickpeas, ideal for hummus. Overseas readers should locate the largest chickpeas they can find. Big is beautiful in the chickpea world, I have discovered. This recipe makes 1½ cups.

  • 200g dried chickpeas, that's one very heaped metric measuring cup
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon yellow asafetida powder (to replace two cloves garlic)
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 teaspoon salt

    Soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight or at least 6 hours. Drain and throw away the soak water. Place the chickpeas in a large saucepan. Cover with fresh, unsalted cold water, about three times the volume, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour or until the chickpeas are very tender, topping up with water if necessary.

    Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid. Cool slightly then rub the chickpeas well to loosen the skins. Cover with cold water and the loose skins will rise to the surface. Scoop them off and discard. The chickpeas that didn't give up their skins should be peeled for the best, creamiest hummus. Patience!

    Place the peeled chickpeas in a food processor with the lemon juice, asafetida, tahini and half of the salt. Process to a smooth puree, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary to achieve a smooth result. Add the remaining salt if it needs it.