I made the Lebanese spread for my mom who is very conscious of her diet. It’s a simple recipe with no fancy ingredients yet full of flavour and super healthy. It’s my ode to Lebanese food, inspired by one of my favourite chefs, Noor Murad. Instagram @noorishbynoor
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Dry Chickpeas
- 3 Tbsp Tahini (you can make your own tahini by simply toasting sesame seeds and blending it with olive oil in a food processor)
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 Cup Olive Oil (garnish)
- A Pinch of Roasted Cumin Powder
- Salt to Taste
- 1 Tbsp Yogurt (this is my addition and can be avoided if you are vegan or lactose intolerant)
- Fresh Parsley (garnish)
- A Pinch Sumac (optional)
- Black or Green Olives (sliced for garnish)
- Food Processor
Preparation
Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
- Pre-Prep (steps 1 and 2)
- Soak chickpeas overnight in water or for a minimum of 8 hours. Add half teaspoon of soda bicarbonate to the water. The water level should be double the level of the chickpeas as the chickpeas will double in size and should be covered in water at all times.
- Drain the chickpeas water after soaking and put it in a pressure cooker (I use a pressure cooker as I find it tastes method of acquiring well-cooked soft chickpeas, you could boil them too) with water level above the level of the chickpeas.
- Add ½ TSP of soda bicarbonate and a pinch of roasted cumin powder for extra flavour. Do not add salt now, add salt after the chickpeas are cooked thoroughly.
- Cook chickpeas for 15 minutes or 4-5 whistles (this also completely depends on your chickpeas – how old they are and how long you soaked them). You will know your chickpeas are cooked when they are soft and the skin easily separates. Add salt and drain the water. Do not throw away the cooked chickpeas water as we will use it later to adjust the consistency of the hummus and it adds extra flavour thanks to the cumin.
- In a blender/food processor add chickpeas (use warm chickpeas for best results), 1 tablespoon yoghurt (my tip for extra creaminess), salt, lime juice, tahini, leftover cooked chickpeas water and blend it into a fine paste. Adjust the salt or the consistency using cooked chickpeas water. I don’t add olive oil to the blender. I add it in the end over the hummus as a dressing and to prevent it from getting dry.
- Now your hummus is almost ready, empty it in a pretty bowl and spread it out evenly and pour olive oil to cover the hummus and sprinkle sumac and fresh parsley sprigs and sliced olives.
- Serve with freshly cooked pita, falafels and a simple salad!
- Tip: Make extra and jar it up for everyday use. Don’t forget to always keep hummus covered and pour olive oil above to avoid drying. Also, you can make a black sesame seed tahini for cool colours in your hummus and you can add grated beetroot while blending the hummus, if you want to make it interesting looking for your kids or for a party.
