Chef Forum banner

How do you Hummus?

10K views 50 replies 25 participants last post by  florencepatto 
#1 ·
What's your take on hummus?  How do you make it?  What do you add?
 
#2 ·
I usually take the shortcut of using canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed.  From there, I'm pretty pure, adding garlic, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt and a little hot sauce so I don't need to use as much salt.

Sometimes I'll add some roasted peppers. Or olives.
 
#4 ·
yeah kk, what they said plus i add parsley....

sometimes i make a black bean hummus too in which i add some chipotles in adobo and cumin...sometimes i make it with white beans instead of chick peas, but then it's probaly not called hummus then either!

joey
 
#5 ·
Never been really adventurous with my hummus, I just like to use dried chick peas, soak overnight and cook in the pressure cooker, and process for enough time so it is as smooth as possible (the Lebanese restaurant around here gets their hummus very, very smooth, I'll have to ask them how). Then all the classics: tahini, lemon, garlic, S & P. 

When ready to serve I mix a bit of olive oil with a little sweet paprika. I form a little hole in the center of the hummus dish and make a little pool of that red oil. 
 
#6 ·
My current method is to soak a pound of dried chickpeas for at least 8 hours and the soaking liquid is seasoned with salt and ground cumin.  I pressure cook for about 18 min with natural cool down.  This give me well cooked beans that are soft but not falling apart.  I add the juice of 3-4 lemons as well as some zest, a half a cup of tahini, 2-3 large garlic cloves mashed with salt to form a paste.  First I blend in a BlendTec or Vitamix, the garlic, lemon juice and tahini to emulsify and then add the chickpeas and cooking liquid until I get the consistency I want.  I season with fresh ground cumin and red pepper flakes and continue blending.  Since I know it will firm up after refrigeration I aim for a little looser than I would want in the final product.  The final product is checked for taste and correction made as needed.  I like my hummus a bit tart, I like cumin in it as that's the way I grew up eating it. 

In my quest to get a smooth hummus I've tried many techniques as well as removing skins.  With high powered blenders skins are no issue.  I get ultra smooth hummus if blended well in a Blendtec or Vitamix
 
#7 ·
Do you put raw garlic in or roasted garlic?  I've only made classic hummus but looking to amp up the flavors a bit.  A store-bought brand has a wonderful roasted pine nut hummus that I can't wait to replicate.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Hummus, a common Mezze ( small plate ) in the Mediterranean has uncountable variations from country to country. I make this one for lunch quite often and serve with Kalamata olives and oven hot Pita bread.

Serves 6 to 8 :  ( Note: cumin is used in the Moroccan and North African countries however, rarely used in Greece, Turkey, Jordan or Lebanon ). Cumin is optional, however, if you use it, use it very sparingly )

225 grams dry chickpeas ( garbanzos ) soaked in water & salt overnight

the juice of 2 fresh lemons

150 ml. tahine

2 or 3 cloves of garlic ( not roasted ) pounded in a Mortar with pestle

4tblsps. extra virgin Greek or Turkish olive oil ( if unavailable: Use 100% Hojiblanca Spanish Mono Varietal - very delicate )

Smoked Paprika = pimentón dulce from Spain if possible

Salt and freshly ground blk pepper

1) simmer the chickpeas 2 hours until tender however, not overly soft and mushy

2) strain beans & reserve the beans stock liquid

3) blend the beans with a little of the bean stock liquid until it becomes a consistent thick pureé

4) squeeze the lemons and drop by drop put into the hummus dip mixture

5) place the hummus in a bowl or plate and refrigerate for 2 or 3 hrs.

6) take the hummus out of refrigerator and mix the rest of the ingredients with the hummus dip and mix until there are no lumps

7) sprinkle the smoked paprika on top and add a bit of olive oil and finely minced parsley or Spearmint leaf for garnish and serve with olives ( kalamata ) in separate dish and cherry tomatoes and crudities if u wish   

8) serve with hot pita and a good glass of Santorini White Greek Wine or a fragrant Albariño from Spain or a Prosecco from Veneto or Friuli, Italia
 
#9 · (Edited)
For those who  need to know what Tahine is  It comes already made in a jar and is available in some spermarkets and specialty shops it is a sesamee paste of soughts. You could make your own but doesn't pay. One brand name is Anthros another Roland & Athos there are more.

PS

You can save time and steps by purchasing already canned and cooked Garbanzo or chick peas ,It's hard to tell difference of finished product with all that garlic and seasonings.
 
#10 ·
Pretty pure here, too.

chickpeas (canned or fresh, I do both depending upon what I have) tahini, lemon, garlic, Olive oil parsley.  But I always add cumin and I don't like it without cumin.  To me, it is like having pasta with no trace of garlic in/on anything.   Has to have cumin.

I have not been adding paprika, Margcata.  I think I will try that since I like it in most things.

Now that we've settled that, I'm looking for a really great Greek kibbe recipe. I've had both raw and cooked, and I like both.  Anybody got one????

Donna
 
#11 ·
Pretty pure here, too.

chickpeas (canned or fresh, I do both depending upon what I have) tahini, lemon, garlic, Olive oil parsley. But I always add cumin and I don't like it without cumin. To me, it is like having pasta with no trace of garlic in/on anything. Has to have cumin.

I have not been adding paprika, Margcata. I think I will try that since I like it in most things.

Now that we've settled that, I'm looking for a really great Greek kibbe recipe. I've had both raw and cooked, and I like both. Anybody got one????

Donna
Like these? Never had Greek Kibbe. I'm from a background of Halabian Jews or Jews from Aleppo so the the ingredients may vary from what some consider standard. These fried kibbeh do not have meat in the shell like traditional Syrian or Lebanese kibbeh do. Meat in the stuffing for sure. We use tomato in our kibbeh neyeh.

 
#12 ·
Pretty pure here, too.

chickpeas (canned or fresh, I do both depending upon what I have) tahini, lemon, garlic, Olive oil parsley. But I always add cumin and I don't like it without cumin. To me, it is like having pasta with no trace of garlic in/on anything. Has to have cumin.

I have not been adding paprika, Margcata. I think I will try that since I like it in most things.

Now that we've settled that, I'm looking for a really great Greek kibbe recipe. I've had both raw and cooked, and I like both. Anybody got one????

Donna
I've never put parsley in my hummus, never seen it either. Is this a norm?

I've never heard of a kibbe, much less a greek kibbe.
 
#13 ·
Kibbe is more of a traditional semitic food. Ground lamb, seasonings and such. There are raw and cooked versions.

I have to admit, it's something that I've not made or even tried as it seems like  more work than reward. It has a lot of cultural impact though, sort of a comfort/soul food so I probably lack the background to appreciate it properly.
 
#14 ·
that just makes my mouth water. Any chance you would share some family recipes?

Like these? Never had Greek Kibbe. I'm from a background of Halabian Jews or Jews from Aleppo so the the ingredients may vary from what some consider standard. These fried kibbeh do not have meat in the shell like traditional Syrian or Lebanese kibbeh do. Meat in the stuffing for sure. We use tomato in our kibbeh neyeh.

 
#17 ·
I must say they look good too.

@ KK : The original recipe calls for tahini but  if you don't have tahini you can use peanut butter. Has anyone ever tried this ? I had to add it when I ran out of tahini once and it had a very nice flavor.

Petals.
 
#18 ·
@ Petals,

Olive oil and the chickpeas, shall form a homogenous pureé dip, even without the Tahine ( sesame ). However, peanut butter, wouldn´t  this create a sweetness atypical to a hummus ?

Margcata.
 
#19 ·
I must say they look good too.

@ KK : The original recipe calls for tahini but if you don't have tahini you can use peanut butter. Has anyone ever tried this ? I had to add it when I ran out of tahini once and it had a very nice flavor.

Petals.
This is definitely something worth trying!
 
#20 · (Edited)
@ Indygal, Donna,

Yes, a tiny pinch of cumin is nice too ... just do not enjoy an overpowering amount of cumin -- a lite aroma of it, yes.

Also, I make a dent in the centre to place the olive oil, extra virgin and I sprinkle the smoked paprika on the top with a very lite sprinkling of the fresh minced parsley.

I serve it with black Kalamata olives and Machadas which are a broken large dark deep olive green olive from Ciudad Real, in Castilla La Mancha - Spain and some cherry tomatoes with hot Pita.

I enjoy for a laboral lunch and / or company mezze = appetiser. I have also made Cannelli white bean hummus or rather dip and my dear Cuban friend had given me her black turtle bean one with diced avocado, red onion and fresh corn kernels and instead of cumin, she uses Coriander or " Cilantro herb " very common in Latin American grocers, and place it minced as well as in the dip itself  ... nice too with Corn chips for dipping.

Margcata.
 
#21 ·
Scubadoo97, Oh yeah!

Those look great! I'm with tigerwoman, can you please share the recipes?

Donna
that just makes my mouth water. Any chance you would share some family recipes?
For the Kibbeh Nayeh (raw kibbeh)

1 cup of extra fine bulgur Grade #1

1 small onion chopped fine

1 lb of extra lean ground beef. I use top sirloin and clean it well and grind it twice through a fine plate. Some use lamb some use beef or mixture

8 oz canned tomatoes, chopped with juice

1 1/2 tsp of fresh ground cumin

1/2 tsp table salt

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Chopped parsley (optional)

EVOO

In a large mixing bowl knead bulgur, onions, tomatoes, and spices together. Add ground beef and knead well as if washing cloths on a wash board. Today the food processor can make this a breeze. Form into torpedo shape for individual kibbeh or in a mound and indent the top and pour EVOO into the indention. Here is a place to use really good tasting evoo.

Serve with pita

Some like to soak the bulgur in water for 30 min first to soften then squeeze out the water before mixing the other ingredients. The tomato juice will hydrate the bulgur and will add flavor. Just know it take about 30+ min for the bulgur to soften.

For a vegetarian kibbeh nayeh called kibbeh ades you can use cooked red lentils instead of meat. Works well and has a similar taste.

Fried Kibbeh (torpedoes)

We do these with a shell that is made from flour and extra fine bulgur. Most fried kibbeh is made with the same meat/bulgur mixture which is kibbeh. The insides are stuffed with a mixture of spiced ground meat and onions. Often pine nuts or pomegranate seeds are mixed with the meat prior to stuffing. The more common meat/bulgur shell is easier to work with and less likely to crack when forming so I'll start with this one. Getting the right texture is key to forming a good kibbeh. They goal is to get the shell as thin as possible without breaking. Easier said than done.

Filling

The filling for the kibbeh is ground beef, or lamb or both. I use chuck.

3 lbs of ground beef

3 large onions chopped fine

1-2 tsp baharat spice

Pine nuts or pomegranate seeds (optional)

Chop the onions and sweat before adding the meat. Cook slowly until the meat becomes dry and crumbly. It should not have any liquid when you're done. The onions should have disappeared as well giving the meat some sweetness. This is a lot of filling and if you have left overs it's wonderful with some hummus as a side dish or make a mound of hummus and fill the center with this meat mixture.

Since this take a while do this first before mixing the shell

The standard mix for the shell is 1: .5 extra fine bulgur to ground meat. 1 cup bulgur to 1/2 pound of meat. Again the meat should be extra lean and ground twice

The kibbeh shell mixture can be seasoned with a little salt and we use cumin. This is a case where soaking the bulgur is needed before mixing with the meat. I find equal amounts of bulgur to water work well to hydrate. I also just put the bulgur in a bowl and add water to just cover. Cover and walk away. About 30 min later it's pretty hydrated and feels somewhat dry to the touch.

Mix the meat and bulgur along with some cumin and salt to form the dough. It's best to work with a small cup of water to which a few drops of oil have been added to wet your hands with while forming the shell.

I found this video on YouTube which shows a women making the shell and filling



It is traditional to make them into torpedo shapes but you will often find them as balls. The thinner the shell the more skilled the cook.

We make them and line a tray with parchment or wax paper and then freeze for later use. You can certainly cook them directly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: indygal
#22 ·
Well Margcata,

All I can tell you is that it had a terrifc taste and it came out great. I would not hesitate for a second to make it again. I added more lemon thats all.

Petals.

@ Petals,

Olive oil and the chickpeas, shall form a homogenous pureé dip, even without the Tahine ( sesame ). However, peanut butter, wouldn´t this create a sweetness atypical to a hummus ?

Margcata.
 
#23 ·
The peanut butter to me is very similar in flavor to toasted sesame paste. Many grocers sell toasted sesame butter alongside the organic peanutbutter, usually next to the tahini in my local grocer as well.

I don't like it in my hummus but my friends thought it tasted fine the time I tried it.

The Chinese use toasted sesame paste in their cuisine. For me, this particular fusion of China to Med flavors doesn't work.

It's quite curious to me as well how China uses sesame so differently from the Med regions and olives too.
 
#25 ·
Never been really adventurous with my hummus, I just like to use dried chick peas, soak overnight and cook in the pressure cooker, and process for enough time so it is as smooth as possible (the Lebanese restaurant around here gets their hummus very, very smooth, I'll have to ask them how). Then all the classics: tahini, lemon, garlic, S & P.

When ready to serve I mix a bit of olive oil with a little sweet paprika. I form a little hole in the center of the hummus dish and make a little pool of that red oil.
Hi French Fries,

I don't work in the Lebanese Resto around ur place, but I'm Lebanese :)

When my mother prepares hummus it would be sooo smooth because after boiling the hummus and setting it aside (soaked in its water) to cool down a little, she would run her fingers through the chickpeas and peel the skins off the beans (they should be so tender - the skins will just fall-off).

After a minute or so you'll see a layer of skins floating on the surface; remove those skins and proceed with your usual method.

Voila, super smooth Hummus.

Jad
 
#26 ·
Hi French Fries,

I don't work in the Lebanese Resto around ur place, but I'm Lebanese :)

When my mother prepares hummus it would be sooo smooth because after boiling the hummus and setting it aside (soaked in its water) to cool down a little, she would run her fingers through the chickpeas and peel the skins off the beans (they should be so tender - the skins will just fall-off).

After a minute or so you'll see a layer of skins floating on the surface; remove those skins and proceed with your usual method.

Voila, super smooth Hummus.

Jad
NICE!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top