Hummus Israeli Style
- Alison Haines
- Jul 4, 2016
- 2 min read
I have a sneaking feeling that I may have been middle eastern in a past life. Why else would I so love and crave the tang of lemons, parsley and tomatoes?
A very anglo saxon upbringing in the western suburbs of Sydney in the 60’s meant there wasn’t a lot of variety of food. Very basic stuff: it was a “meat and three veg” kind world. And my Mum really couldn’t cook.
Cheese and tomato sandwiches for lunch were my favourite at school. Always loved the tang of the tomatoes and the cheese. Still do.
The 80’s were a revelation in Sydney for me. I remember going to a friends place and asking what a certain dip was. “Baba Ganoush” was the reply. “What’s that made of?”, I asked. “Eggplant” was the response. What?? How could a dip not be made of cream cheese. It was only the beginning of my new culinary world.
That same friend introduced me to the wonders of kebab, tabouli, hummus and baba ganoush. What joy!
I was fortunate enough to work with a lovely Lebanese girl in the 90’s who’s mother was the quintessential Lebanese cook. She showed how to make tabouli and hummus and labne, and Kebbi.
In recent years, I’ve discovered that Israelis do a Hummus by boiling chick peas with baking soda to soften them. They are creamier when blended with tahini and lemon juice. It’s true! So, an Australian Westy makes Lebanese food regularly and even grows her own parsley. Unheard of! How did that happen?
Yield: 2 Cups
•
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
•
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
Organic Chick Peas | 1 can Tahini | ½ cup Baking soda | 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice | Juice of 1 large Water | ¼ cup Salt | 2 teaspoons or to taste Garlic | 1 clove
Directions
Drain the chickpeas and simmer in a saucepan of boiling water with the baking soda for about 15 minutes until the peas are soft and mushy. Drain and press through the sieve with a large spoon into a bowl. Please the sieved chick peas into the food processor with the salt, lemon juice, tahini and garlic and blend until smooth. Add the water, a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Check for salt and the lemon juice as different chick peas and lemons can produce different flavours.
I serve this in a shallow bowl and use the back of a spoon to smooth it up to the rim and make a swirling pattern for the oil to pool into. It can be decorated with tiny cubes of red tomato and parsley and a sprinkle of red paprika for show. Of course, it needs the freshest Lebanese bread you can get your hands on and watch it disappear when it hit the table.
Chickpeas are one of the best forms of vegetable protein you can consume. Excellent for fibre and energy, this little gem makes a fabulously satisfy meal when eaten with lentils and rice, tabouli, baba ganoush and cucumbers.
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