Mediterranean Appetizers: Hummus Bi Tahina
Blending chickpeas with garlic and oil makes a surprisingly creamy puree that is delicious as part of a Turkish-style mezze, or as a dip with vegetables. Leftovers make a good sandwich filler.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (5 oz/150 g) dried chickpeas
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- ⅔ cup (¼ pint/150 ml) tahini paste
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil and cayenne pepper, for sprinkling
- Flat leaf parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Put the chickpeas in a bowl with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight.
- Drain the chickpeas and cover with fresh water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 90-120 minutes, or until soft. Drain.
- Process the chick-peas in a food processor to a smooth puree.
- Add the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cayenne pepper and tahini and blend until creamy, scraping the mixture down from the sides of the bowl.
- Season the puree with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish.
- Sprinkle with oil and cayenne pepper and serve garnished with a few parsley sprigs. #ETOPIC’S TIP: For convenience, canned chick-peas can be used instead. Allow two 14 oz (400 g) cans and drain them thoroughly. Tahini paste can now be purchased from most supermarkets or health food shops.#