Hummus.. a Mediterranean Twist

Being a hardcore lover of Arabic/Mediterranean delicacies, entering into this New Year with one of my favorite dish. I was brought up in UAE and now you  know why I love these Arabic food. My favorites include Shawarma, Falafel, Chicken and Rice, Hummus, Rotisserie chicken and many more. Coming to US, one of the major things that I miss from Middle East is the food. But that doesn't stop me, whenever I get a chance would grab the opportunity to get hold of some authentic Mediterranean food. But it would be more fun to have your favorite delicacies served at home. That is when my experiments on this began and realized that preparing them is very simple unlike the Indian cuisine.

Lets start with Hummus. Its usually severed as an appetizer dip or spread. Hummus is also combined with Shwarma, Falafel or Pita-bread. Its one of the healthy dips which is high in iron, protein and fiber. This is also a good option for the vegetarians with Falafel. Most of you would have tasted the store bought Hummus. But did you realize this is one of the easiest dip anybody could make at home and get the same flavor and taste. Guys you would not believe how easily you can amaze your guests. Lets go into the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chick Peas (Garbanzo beans, Chana) - 2 cups
Tahini - 3 tbspn
Curd - 2 tbspn
Garlic cloves - 3 nos
Lemon juice - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tspn
Olive oil to garnish
Parsley to garnish

Method:

- Soak the chick peas overnight in water. Pressure cook them until 3 whistles/ they become tender. Let it cool.
- In a food processor/grinder, add the cooked chick peas, curd, tahini, garlic cloves, lemon juice and salt.
- Grind until it becomes a fine paste. If its really thick add a little water, about 1/4 cup or until desired consistency is reached.
- Scoop out the hummus into a dish, garnish with olive oil and fresh parsley. The hummus is ready!!.

* You may use the canned chick peas which is already cooked. This makes it much easier.
* You will find Tahini paste in any stores. However I made the paste at home. This is again simple, toast some sesame seeds in low flame. Once it becomes golden brown, grind it with oil until it forms a paste. You can store this upto a month in an air tight container.
* To spice up the hummus, add flavors like bell pepper/chilli powder/jalapenos etc with the other ingredients.

ENJOY!!! Will be back soon with more Mediterranean delicacies...