Serves: makes about 450ml
I thank the gods for Yotam Ottolenghi and his way of cooking chickpeas. The culinary genius adds a bit of bicarbonate of soda to the already soaked chickpeas which breaks down their tough skins and makes the end dish a creamy delight. I know that tinned chickpeas are instant and easy and they most definitely have their place in the kitchen but for the best hummus you need to start from scratch. I go heavy on the tahini and leave out garlic because it is what I like but there is no reason why you couldn’t add a touch of garlic. Dukkah, a blend of toasted seeds, nuts and spices is available in most supermarkets or make your own.
Ingredients
- 100g chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 4 heaped tablespoons tahini paste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2-3 pinches ground coriander
- 30g pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 1 teaspoon dukkah
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Method
- Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 24 hours. Drain and place in a saucepan. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in about 600ml cold water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are completely soft. Skim off any scum that accumulates on the surface. Drain the chickpeas and place in a food processor.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, ground coriander and a generous pinch or two of salt. Process to blend everything together and with the motor still running pour in about 60ml hot water from a kettle that has just boiled. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- Spoon into a bowl and scatter over the pine nuts, dukkah and drizzle over the olive oil.
