This hummus recipe is a creamy Middle Eastern dip made by first blending toasted sesame seeds, then processing them with cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, ground cumin and olive oil until smooth. This tahini-free version has a rich, nutty flavor and is perfect as a dip or spread.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 · 1 medium bowl
  • Category: Appetizers, Side Dish, Starters
  • Cuisine: Lebanese, World

Ingredients

  • ½ cup heaped dried white chickpeas, 120 grams (soaked in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight)
  • 1.5 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds (or 2 tablespoons tahini)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (or 4 to 5 small to medium garlic cloves, chopped)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder ((ground cumin))
  • salt as required
  • extra virgin olive oil (as required)
  • red chili powder or paprika (or cayenne pepper - as required)
  • black pepper powder (as required - optional)
  • a few sprigs of parsley (or coriander leaves (cilantro leaves))
  • zatar, (as required - optional)

Method

Cooking dried chickpeas

  1. Rinse ½ heaped cup dried chickpeas (120 grams) in water first and then soak in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
  2. Next day, rinse the chickpeas in water first a couple of times. Drain all the water and add the chickpeas in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
  3. Add ½ teaspoon salt, 1 pinch of baking soda and 1.5 cups water.
  4. Pressure cook on medium heat for 11 to 12 minutes.
  5. When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid and check the chickpeas.
  6. Mash them with a spoon or with your fingers. You should be able to mash them completely. They should have no rawness in them. You can even taste them and there should be no bite in them. They should melt in the mouth.
  7. If the chickpeas are not cooked properly, then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time. Drain all the water. Cover and keep aside.

Toasting sesame seeds

  1. Heat a small pan. Keep heat to a low. Add 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds.
  2. On a low heat stirring often toast sesame seeds.
  3. Toast till they become crisp and start crackling. No need to brown them. Let them cool down.

Making hummus

  1. In a food processor, mixer-grinder-blender or food chopper take the toasted sesame seeds.
  2. Powder it to fine or semi-fine texture.
  3. Add 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and salt as per taste.
  4. 1 tablespoons lemon juice works fine for us. To increase the tang more, you can add overall 2 tablespoons lemon juice. So add as per your taste.
  5. Add salt as per taste. Do note that the chickpeas will also have some salty taste in them as salt was used when cooking chickpeas. So add less salt first. Later you can add more salt if required.
  6. Grind or blend to a fine or semi-fine consistency.
  7. Next add the cooked chickpeas.
  8. Grind or blend till smooth and light. If you are unable to grind, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons water.

Serving hummus

  1. Hummus is ready now and all you need is to scrape the jar and place it in a serving bowl or bowls. Make a round pattern with a spoon on the hummus.
  2. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle paprika or red chilli powder or black pepper powder or any of your favorite spice powder. You can also sprinkle zatar. Garnish with a few chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.
  3. Serve it with warm pita bread or with steamed or roasted veggies. The extra hummus can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.