Wednesday, June 14, 2023

The simple and perfect hummus 




In my book, a savory breakfast toast--Mediterranean-style, of course-- is the perfect way to start the day! Loaded with hummus, veggies and other Mediterranean favorites, it is a healthy,  nutrition-packed and super satisfying breakfast!

Typical of Middle Eastern cuisine, hummus is a chickpea and tahini sauce appreciated all over the world! In addition to being easy and quick to make, it is an extremely versatile recipe that lends itself to various types of dishes. In addition, being very nutritious, it adapts perfectly to the needs of those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. The traditional preparation involves the use of mortar and pestle, but for convenience and practicality we preferred to show you the simplest method with the blender. Also for this reason we opted for ready-made tahini, easily available in all supermarkets, but those who wish will find at the bottom of the recipe the steps to make it at home, starting from toasted sesame seeds. Whatever the procedure chosen, once you have obtained the base of hummus you can then decide to flavor it to your liking, for example with paprika and parsley as in our version! Looking for some ideas on how to serve it? Hummus, as well as its variants (see advice), is perfect to accompany pita, falafel and vegetable sticks as an appetizer. 

Hummus (I recommend, no humus, which is the undergrowth) is a typical recipe of the Middle East, especially of Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece, which claim the origin of the dish. The very word "hummus" comes from Arabic and means chickpeas, a legume that was cultivated in the Middle East for the first time 10 thousand years ago. And that even in Italy is highly appreciated and cultivated, making the perfect recipe to be replicated here with local ingredients. Being the Arabic name suggests that it is in an Arabic-speaking country that he was born. The full name is actually ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna, which means "chickpeas with tahini" which in turn is a paste made from sesame, also of Egyptian origin. And it is in an ancient Egyptian document that the first indications of a recipe similar to hummus are found. A similar dish was written in Cairo in the 13th century: it was prepared with chickpeas, vinegar, lemon, spices and oil, but without tahini or garlic.

The homemade hummus has an incomparable flavor, you can customize it as you prefer according to your tastes, adapting it as you see fit to garnish a sandwich or to accompany a piadina, for vegetarian sandwiches and also as an accompaniment to second courses, such as grilled fish, grilled meat...

Today, hummus has become a common vegan food, frequent to be found even in supermarket counters, grocery stores and ethnic supermarkets. It is obtained by mixing chickpeas, taina sauce, lemon juice, garlic and salt. At the end a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, paprika and fresh aromas is added to taste, and traditionally enjoyed with Arabic bread (pita).


INGREDIENTS

1 kg boiled chickpeas
20 gr lemon juice
400 ml oil
180 gr tahini
20 gr salt

PREPARATION

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Then boil them until they are crumbled, finally drain. Blend the chickpeas in a food processor, knead them until you have obtained a puree. Add the tahini and oil, slowly, to emulsify. Put the lemon juice. Serve the hummus with olive oil and boiled chickpeas or pine nuts.

Typical of Middle Eastern cuisine, hummus is now a dish appreciated all over the world. Tasty and nutritious, it is a very simple dish to make. It is a sauce made with chickpeas, garlic, tahini (sesame seed cream) and lemon juice to accompany pite, toasted bread slices or raw vegetables. 

 

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