When I was younger, I couldn’t understand everyone’s love of hummus. To me, it was unappealing- a thick, sour paste that emerged from a can or tub, cold. It wasn’t until university when I lived down the street from the Hummus Place (RIP), an Israeli-owned restaurant, that I got it. They served their hummus warm, full of tahini, with optional toppings.
Does that mean hummus is an Israeli dish in origin? Most evidence points to no (and I’ll get to that in a second), but what that experience showed me is that something got lost in hummus’ translation to “American.” Even in Turkey, the best hummus is found in areas that border Arab countries (or in Arab-owned restaurants).
Like most Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, most of us like to claim this one as our own. Some food for thought. The word hummus means chickpea in Arabic. The exact name of the dish in Arabic is hummus bin tahini (chickpeas with tahini). I have found the argument that Plato and Socrates mentioned hummus in their writings. Even though hummus has a strong association with Greek food in the US, I’ve read enough travel anecdotes about not being able to find the dip in the country itself to be suspicious of any claims (also it seems the Greek word for hummus is...hummus).
The most widely accepted theory seems to be that hummus originated in Egypt, as it is referenced as early as the 13th century, but that recipe did not contain more than beans or tahini. Chickpeas have been eaten in the Middle East for 10,000 years and tahini for 4,500. Garlic was available to them, but lemons didn’t arrive for a little bit. Basically, we know two things:
This dish is OLD.
It’s delicious.
I think you’re probably ready for a recipe now…
Hummus is incredibly easy to make. The topping options I’ve given are also incredibly simple. The caveat? This takes time to make. A lot of that time is sitting around waiting for things to soak, marinate, or cook, but it’s still time. It will be hard to go back to store bought hummus after this, though, and you won’t mind the pre-planning.
A note: I love legumes. They don't love me (And now everyone I know-and don’t know-knows it!). This hummus is specially designed to be as easy to digest as possible.
The seasonings in this recipe are more of a guide. If you like your hummus more garlicky, add more. More lemony? No problem! You can even add some lemon zest! Thinner, thicker? That's up to you, baby.
Ingredients:
Chickpeas (garbanzos), 1 cup, dry*
Reserved cooking water, 1/3-1/2 cup*
Tahini, 1/4 cup
Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons
Lemons, 1-2
Garlic, 3-5 cloves
Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more to taste)
Turmeric root (optional)
* I recommend cooking your own chickpeas. I truly do. But, if you absolutely can't, you need about three cups canned. Warm them, and their water, on the stove, before making hummus.
* Save whatever cooking water you don't use. Aquafaba is vegan gold!
1. Rinse your chickpeas and soak them for 24 hours. This shortens cooking time and helps with digestion. Change out the water at least once.
2. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
3. I add a piece of (peeled) fresh turmeric root to 'peas while they cook. It's optional and you could also add turmeric powder. Again, this is to aid digestion.
4. Cover the 'peas with water and cook 'til mushy. This will give your hummus the smooth consistency you desire AND, surprise, surprise aids digestion.
5. Drain your chickpeas, but reserve the water.
6. Here's the fun part: removing the skin off all those golden suckers. I try to work quickly so that my 'peas and cooking liquid are still warm by the time I get to hummus assembly. It may seem tedious, but this step will give your hummus that silky smooth texture you're craving (and help you avoid tummy cramps).
7. Now, the order in which you do things next depends on the size of your food processor. If you have a big one, you can toss in:
the 'peas,
turmeric (if you used fresh root),
1/3 cup of the cooking water,
the tahini, one tablespoon of olive oil,
juice of one lemon,
three cloves of garlic,
and salt.
Blend. Taste it and adjust if necessary.
If you have a small processor, like I did, you'll need to add things step by step, which is fine, too!
8. That’s it! One whole day later...you’re done! You can serve your hummus like this...
or try one (or all) of the toppings below:
Toasted pine nuts:
Popular in the West Bank, Palestine.
Please take a moment to Google the politicization of pine trees in Palestine. The recipe can wait.
Instructions:
Toast pine nuts in a skillet (dry or not) until golden and sprinkle over hummus. Drizzle with olive oil.
Eggplant Pastirma:
Pastirma (or basturma) is a cured meat, which is popular throughout the Middle East into Eastern Europe. It’s believed to either have been invented in Armenia or by Central Asian nomadic Turks. Pastirma is a variation on the Turkish word bastrima, which means to press, as pressing the meat is an important part of the original recipe. Think of my version of a spin on eggplant bacon.
Pastirma is a popular hummus topping in Turkey. It’s often fried in butter or olive oil and poured on top.
Ingredients:
Eggplant, 1 large
Wet:
Date syrup, 1 tablespoon
Soy Sauce (or Tamari), 1 tablespoon
Liquid Smoke, 1 teaspoon
Garlic, 2 cloves
Dry:
Onion powder, ½ teaspoon
Garlic powder, ½ teaspoon
Allspice, ½ teaspoon
Smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon (I used aji amarillo; cayenne would do nicely)
Fenugreek, 1 teaspoon
Cumin seed, 1 teaspoon
Black pepper, ¼ teaspoon (or more, to taste)
Salt, ¼ teaspoon (or more, to taste)
1. Slice your eggplant into bacon-size strips
2. Mix your liquids, either in a bowl or plastic zip-top bag.
3. Mix your spices.
4. Add all ingredients to zip-top bag, roll tightly
5. Place zip-top bag inside another zip-top bag and close with two rubber bands.
6. Refrigerate 12 hours.
7. Place flat on parchment paper.
8. Set oven to 350 ° F (180 °C) and bake for 30 min
9. Lower heat to 300 °F (150 °C ) and check every 30 until desired crispiness. My Latest batch baked for 1.5 hours total.
10. Let cool. Eat as is or...
11. To serve on hummus, break into pieces and fry up with olive oil and sprinkle onto hummus. Drizzle with more olive oil, if you desire.
Duqqa
An Egyptian nut and spice blend.
I'm not sure that duqqa is ever traditionally served with hummus. But it makes a pretty delicious topping, so I'm taking my liberties…
The name duqqa comes from the Egyptian Arabic word “to crush/pound,” which you know, sans food processor...The nuts and seeds in this recipe vary recipe to recipe, person to person, or availability. Feel free to play around! Peanuts and mint are a popular choice in Egypt. Chickpeas could be a nice addition as well. Play around, see what you like.
Ingredients:
Almond, ¼ cup
Hazelnut, ½ cup
Pistachio, ¼ cup
Sesame, ¼ cup
Black sesame, 1 tbs
Cumin seed, ¼ cup
Coriander seed, ⅓ cup
Anise, 1 teaspoon
Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more, to taste)
Black pepper, 1 teaspoon
Aleppo pepper, 1 teaspoon
Za’atar (or Thyme), 1 teaspoon
1. Toast almonds and hazelnuts in the oven 350 (180) for 5-10 min. Let cool.
2. Toast sesame and pistachio in a skillet until sesame are golden. Let cool.
3. Take your whole spices and toast them in the skillet until fragrant. Let cool.
4. Coarsely chop hazelnut and almond in a food processor.
5. Add sesame, pistachio, and whole spices, and chop until fine.
6. Transfer to a bowl and add the other spices.
7. Duqqa is delicious mixed with olive oil and served with bread, a nice crust for veggies, tofu, seitan. I can eat it by the spoonful. Store it in the fridge or in an airtight container.
8. As a hummus topping, I've sprinkled a generous helping and drizzled with olive oil.
