All of my clients, at one point or another in the program, have asked me that how should they eat healthy when they have a party at home, a family member's birthday or guests visiting. And one of the first things I tell them is to make this super simple hummus and serve with cucumbers, carrots, radishes, olives, grapes..whatever you fancy.
There'd be tons of recipes on the internet for great hummus, so go ahead and experiment, I'm just sharing my version here, to inspire you to make this amazing dip at home!
Ingredients
Kabuli Chana/ Chickpeas : 1 cup
Sesame seeds/ Safed Til : 1 tbsp
Garlic : 1 clove
Olive oil : 2 tbsp
Cumin powder : 1 tsp
Bay leaf : 1 large
Zaatar (optional) : to garnish
Sumac (optional) : to garnish
Red chili powder : to garnish
Himalayan Pink Salt : to taste
Did you know that the word 'Hummus' comes from the Arabic word for Chickpeas, and the dish is called ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna which means "chickpeas with tahini"
Recipe
Soak the raw chickpeas and sesame seeds in regular water overnight, in separate bowls
Next morning, throw away the soaking water, rewash the chickpeas, and pressure cook them with fresh water, salt and a bay leaf, for about 20-30 minutes, making them soft and buttery.
Once cooked, drain the cooking water and save it separately; throw away the bay leaf.
Add the cooked chickpeas and soaked sesame seeds to a blender along with the garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin powder and a little bit of the water used for cooking chickpeas.
Blend it to a smooth thick consistency, use the cooking water and salt to balance the consistency and flavour.
Empty your ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna in a bowl, create a well in the centre with the back of a spoon; add 1 tbsp olive oil and garnish with cumin powder, zaatar, sumac and red chili powder.
Viola!
Your beautiful, delicious and 'better than restaurant' party hummus is ready.