Making your own hummus is so easy, and infinitely cheaper than buying it. I had intended to make a batch of it last week, but I went to feed Milo just as the chickpeas were boiling, got seduced by the milk-drunk baby snuggles, and came back into the kitchen about an hour later to find them boiled dry and quite leathery! (I salvaged them by tossing them with some olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne pepper, and roasting them – the first time I’ve made crispy roasted chickpeas and they were delicious, I might even make them on purpose next time)
Anyway, back to the hummus – I’ve been experimenting with different methods for hummus. At first I used to follow the Honey & Co method which calls for you to blitz the chickpeas with the cooking water whilst still boiling hot. Their hummus is delicious, but not quite as smooth as I would have liked. I then read that Ottolenghi calls for iced water to blitz with the chickpeas, in order to get a smoother result. I tried both methods, and have to say iced water won out, for me. It made a much silkier, lighter hummus, whereas the hot water produced a grainier texture. My husband actually prefers the chunky one, so each to their own, but for me, the iced water method is the best.
You can top yours with whatever spice you like (or none at all if you prefer it plain). Sumac is delicious, but so is smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, which I’ve used here. Alternatively you can top it with toasted nuts or seeds, or a swirl of harissa or pesto.
- 150g dried chickpeas
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1.5 lemons, juiced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 130g tahini
- 120-150ml iced water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Put the chickpeas into a saucepan or heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over them, so that they are deeply submerged in it. Leave it for an hour, by which point they should be swollen. Drain the water and discard it, put them into a saucepan covered with fresh water, and bring them to the boil. Once boiling add the bicarbonate of soda, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the chickpeas are really very soft. (Depending on the age of your chickpeas, this may take a little more or less time)
- Once the chickpeas are very soft, drain them and put them straight into the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic, tahini, cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blitz to a coarse paste, then slowly add the iced water through the opening in the lid whilst it’s mixing. Keep whizzing it on high speed until it’s really silky smooth – you will need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Once it’s very smooth, add the olive oil, then taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding more cumin and/or lemon juice to taste.
- Transfer it to a bowl or some tupperware, and cover directly with clingfilm before storing in the fridge, or freezing. Before serving, let it come to room temperature, and top it with a drizzle of good olive oil, and any of the toppings mentioned in the introduction, above.
