Hummus

Sat 06 Nov 2021 16:18:54 PDT

Like most classic dishes hummus has become an international favorite. So it's not surprising to find numerous recipes with different ideas about how to make it.

Hummus originated in the Middle East particularly Egypt and eastern Mediterranean areas. Naturally regional variations are prominent but basic ingredients include chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice and spices.

The recipe presented here takes some liberties with ingredients. Still it's plausibly authentic because it sticks to foods and flavorings commonly found in the broader Middle East.

The biggest leap is substituting Pumpkin Seed Butter for tahini^†. The addition of fenugreek leaves, also non-standard, contributes to the unique taste of this hummus.

Among folks who've sampled our hummus some have said the recipe gives more than a little hint of being from “another world”. Can't say it isn't so, in any case the beautiful color and exotic flavor of this hummus could very well put it in such a category.

Ingredients:

cooked chickpeas 1 cup
chickpea cooking liquid >=2 tbsp
pumpkin seed butter 2 tbsp
lemon juice 2 tbsp
cumin, ground 1-2 tsp
garlic, finely chopped 1/2-1 tsp
fenugreek leaves 1/2-1 tsp
toasted sesame oil 1 tsp
salt ~1/4 tsp
olive oil 1-2 tsp
parsely/cilantro, chopped 1-2 tsp

In a bowl mash chickpeas, or process in food processor (be careful not to overprocess, texture of finished product is important).
Add chickpea cooking liquid as needed to thin out mashed chickpeas.
Thoroughly mix in pumpkin seed butter and lemon juice.
Add cumin, garlic, sesame oil and fenugreek leaves, again mix well.
Salt to taste.
Store in refrigerator or serve immediately.
Prior to serving sprinkle parsely/cilantro over the surface with drizzle of olive oil. Excellent with flatbread, corn chips, raw vegetables (bell peppers, carrot sticks, etc.)

This recipe is easily scaled to larger quantities, just keep proportion of ingredients the same. Canned chickpeas work well in this recipe. Fenugreek leaves are sold in markets specializing in middle east ingredients. Of course suppliers are easily found online if no local resources are available.

† The original inspiration for using pumpkin seed butter was high oxalate content of tahini. Of course, available food oxalate data is frequently inconsistent which makes it hard to reach firm conclusions. OTOH in nearly all reports pumpkin seeds are listed among foods with the lowest oxalate content and therefore regarded as “safe”.

Categories: middle-east chickpea {side dishes}

About Thinair Recipes

Recipes developed with low-sodium diets in mind—so easy to use!

Here's a quick guide:
Recipes have one or more “boxed” ingredient lists grouped with step-by-step instructions, for example:

garlic, chopped 3 cloves
chicken stock 2 cups
...other ingredients...

Saute garlic in oil until soft.
Add chicken stock to pan...
...next step...

Ingredient boxes show what you'll need for the numbered steps. Not too complicated!

BTW “salt” in our recipes refers to salt substitute, i.e., potassium chloride, KCl. (Since KCl may not be healthy for some people, ask your doctor if it's OK for you to use it.)

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