Monthly Meal Idea: Hummus
Hummus is a great food and can be bought in most good health food shops and supermarkets. It is even possible to organic hummus now. But there is nothing to beat home made hummus.
Serves 6-8
- 450g/1lb chickpeas or 2 tins (400g/14oz) of organic cooked chickpeas, drained
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 2 hot red chillies (optional)
- Juice of about 3 lemons
- About 150ml/¼ pint tahini
- 85g/30z pitted black olives, plus a few for garnish
- 2 tsps ground cumin
- 1 tsp of sea salt
- Organic virgin olive oil, to dress
- A little paprika, to garnish
- Chopped flat-leaved parsley, to garnish
- Warm wholemeal pitta bread, to serve
If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight in water. Next day, discard the water, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, add one of the garlic cloves and the chillies and simmer for one hour, until just soft. Drain, reserving the water and discarding the garlic and chillies.
Reserving a few whole chickpeas, put the rest in a food processor with the lemon juice, tahini, olives, cumin, 150ml/¼ of the reserved water (or plain water if using tinned chickpeas) and sat. Chop the remaining garlic, add to the processor and blitz to a coarse puree. The consistency should not be too smooth, with pieces of chickpeas giving texture. Add more water if too dry. Adjust the flavouring with more tahini and lemon juice.
Spread the hummus on individual plates, forking circular ridges on the surface. Pour a little olive oil over and arrange a few whole chickpeas and olives on top, dust with a little paprika and garnish with the flat leave parsley. Serve with warm pitta bread.