Making smooth and super tasty hummus may be easy, but only if you have the right recipe! I have spent many years trying just about every approach i could find from books and youtube, and the recipe i am sharing today is the result of many years of trying and tasting so many different hummus recipes. I find it quite amusing how each time i think i have finally found the perfect way to make it, i suddenly find an even better way, but today’s recipe is.. i THINK, the ONE! If you are a hummus fan then this is the recipe to try! As any hummus lover will know, the ingredients can be the same, but the result can be so different depending on how you make it. I once thought that removing the husks of each chick pea was the way to go, but how wrong i was! Now i have achieved my hummus enlightenment i would like to share it with you all, and of course keep it safe on the blockchain forever!
So, without further ado here is how to make super smooth, white, creamy hummus...
This process has to start with dry chick peas. Using canned chickpeas is simply not an option and will cost you about 3 times the amount. You will also need to source a high quality tahini paste. There are so many brands so just look for one made in the middle east or any Arabic country. Do not buy any tahini paste that is made in Europe it just wont be the same!
STAGE 1: COOKING THE CHICK PEAS
- Add 500 g chick peas to a large volume of pure water. Add one teaspoon of baking SODA and cover. Leave for 8 hours. The baking soda is important because it helps the water to penetrate the chick pea and help the soften it more.
- Discard the water and wash the chick peas.
- Put the chick peas into a large saucepan and add water until it is 2" above the level of the chick peas. Add another teaspoon of baking SODA.
- Cook on high heat and bring to a boil. When boiling stir the foam back into the chick peas and then cover and reduce heat to medium.
- Cook for around 90 minutes stirring occasionally. Remember to keep it well covered.
- The chick peas are done when they are extremely soft and have fallen apart. Stirring helps this process. There should be some water left but not too much.
- Transfer the chick peas to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Then chill in the fridge. This is important if you want to have a nice white coloured hummus.
STAGE 2: BLENDING THE HUMMUS
- Start by processing the garlic and 70ml lemon juice. Remove the juice and strain any bits of garlic out. Keep to one side for later.
Add the chick peas to blender and process for a few minutes. Keep stopping to scrape down the sides and mix as you go. Keep going until it is a creamy paste with no grain. It should feel floury if you touch it.
- Add around 80g ICE to the mixture and process until it is light and fluffy. The ice is important to make the colour of the hummus go pure white. Don't add too much else the hummus will be too thin.
- Add around 250ml of tahini paste and continue to process.
- Add the processed lemon juice / garlic and salt ane one teaspoon of cumin powder and process until it is completely mixed.
LAUGHABLE POST EDIT
No sooner have I claimed that this is the perfect recipe and he presto, i have just discovered one more improvement! I have not tried this yet and so i will definitely be trying it next time i make hummus. The trick is to use "desi chana," which you can find in the Indian section of any good supermarket. It has the skins/hulls completely removed already and are dry. They look a bit like split peas because the desi chana are smaller and they come apart when the skins are milled off. This will, apparently, produce EVEN smoother hummus.
ENJOY! I certainly did! x