Hummus

I was introduced to Middle Eastern food by my husband who grew up in Kuwait. I absolutely love how they use fresh ingredients to make food packed with flavor! Middle Eastern food has simple seasonings, lots of herbs, grilled meats and of course, a lot of olive oil. Besides being delicious this cuisine is also rated among one of the healthiest cuisines by the medical community. A big part of Middle Eastern cuisine are their varied number of dips. Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip which in my opinion, the whole world has come to love! I decided to play around with this chickpea dip to make different flavors. It is a great snack for lunch, perfect of potlucks and is a guilt free pleasure you can indulge in!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Roast garlic over an open flame. Add roasted garlic to the mixer along with water.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center to add more olive oil.
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Avocado Hummus

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, the flesh of one avocado, lemon juice, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center to add more olive oil.
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Sweet Potato Hummus

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Roast a sweet potato or boil it. Peel and discard the skin. Add to the mixer along with water.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center to add more olive oil. Garnish with chili flakes (optional)
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Hummus with Sumac

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center. Add sumac in the center before pouring the olive oil over it. (Note: Sumac is a wild berry with a tart taste found in the Middle East. You can find a powdered form in any Middle Eastern store)
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Hummus with Dry Black Lemon

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center. Add dry black lemon powder in the center before pouring the olive oil over it. (Note: Black Lemon is popular in Turkish and other Middle Eastern cuisine. It has a unique pungent flavor.  You can find a powdered form in any Middle Eastern store)
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Hummus with Zaatar

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center. Add zaatar in the center before pouring the olive oil over it. (Note: Zaatar is a blend of herbs, spices and sesame seeds popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. It is usually served over bread.  You can find a powdered form in any Middle Eastern store)
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Olive Jalapeno Hummus

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Roast the jalapenos on an open flame. Add the olives and the roasted jalapenos to the mixer. If you don’t want your hummus to be spicy, discard the seeds in the jalapeno prior to roasting. Add some olive juice to the mixer as well.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center to add more olive oil.
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.

Beetroot Hummus

• For boiled garbanzo beans, first, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook until soft for 2-3 whistles with water. Drain the water.
• In a mixer add garbanzo beans/ Kabuli chana, tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Roast or boil a beetroot. Peel and discard the skin. Add to the mixer.
• Blend all the ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed.
• Serve in a bowl with a little indentation in the center to add more olive oil.
• Serve with pita bread, crispy vegetables or pita chips.