Mmmmm……..Hummus !


I have a great liking for this dip or spread, whatever it can be classified as. Having lived in the Middle East a good part of my child hood, initiated me to this bean dip very early in my life.

Later,  after I was married and I was entertaining, I have often chosen to serve this to my guests. It took a number of tries before I came close to the original taste, my tastebuds still remember.

There are umpteen different recipes one finds with slight variations . The prominent ingredients are of course standard. After much research done as part of my effort to perfect my recipe I have come to the conclusion that Hummus is of two varieties one basically very Greek and less popular, while the more popular is a Lebanese or Middle Eastern recipe.


Soak 1/2 a teacup of sesame seeds for about an hour.
Drain and pulverise to a fine smooth, using as little water as possible (this is sold in supermarkets as tahini…)
Add 2 cloves of garlic along with the paste and grind till it is completely blended
Put in 2 tea cups of boiled chickpeas (also known as kabuli channa or garbanzola beans…boil them until very tender but not mashed…using a pressure cooker is easier)
Continue grinding, again adding as less water as required until everything is a fine paste.
Add salt to taste, 8 pepper corns crushed in a mortar and 3 table spoons of olive oil.
Give the grinder a quick run to mix all of the above
Remove and store in the refrigerator….add 1 table spoon of lime juice just before serving.

I favour the Middle Eastern recipe because the absence of cheese, allows it to keep a little longer in the refrigerator.
Whichever version you choose to follow, do consume quickly as chickpeas have a tendency of spoiling very fast.

Hummus is an excellent dip to serve with cracker and pita bread, in fact it could do as a veggie option to pate….but I enjoy it even just as a healthy and filling spread for my lettuce sandwich.

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