The joy of hummus
It’s smooth, light and creamy as anything
Belinda Jeffery is an Australia cookery writer and teacher. Together with her husband, Clive, she runs a popular pop-up cooking school in their home town of Mullumbimby in northern NSW. In her latest book, A Year of Sundays, Belinda shares the recipes, musings and memories that inspire her cooking.
MY TRIED-AND-TRUE HUMMUS
You’ll find the flavours of the cumin and garlic will become a bit more pronounced over a few days, so keep this in mind when you make it.
Ingredients
■ 3⁄4 cup (170g) dried chickpeas
■ 1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
■ 3 cloves garlic, 2 crushed and 1 finely chopped
■ 1 dried red chilli
■ 1 bay leaf
■ 1⁄2 cup (125ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
■ 2 tsp sea salt flakes, or more to taste
■ 1 cup (250ml) tahini
■ 1⁄3 cup (80ml) extra-virgin
■ olive oil
■ 1 slightly heaped tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
■ a little olive oil, a pinch of smoked paprika, finely sliced chilli and tiny herb leaves, to garnish, optional
Method
Wash the chickpeas really well and check them for any little stones or discoloured peas. Put them to soak in a large bowl of cold water. Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda into the water and stir to ensure it dissolves (the bicarbonate of soda helps the chickpeas to soften more quickly). You need about 4 times the amount a large saucepan and cover with cold water by at least an index fingerlength. Add the crushed garlic cloves, chilli and bay leaf to the pan. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat so it bubbles steadily. Cook the chickpeas until they’re tender and creamy but not mushy — if the water level starts to look low, top it up with very hot water. Spoon away any impurities that form on the surface as the chickpeas cook. The cooking time can vary widely depending on just how fresh the chickpeas are; of water as there are chickpeas. Leave them in a cool spot overnight. If the weather is warm, it’s a good idea to pop them in the fridge, otherwise they can ferment and start to bubble.
The next day, drain the chickpeas and rinse them again. Put them into
recently dried chickpeas can cook in about 45 minutes, but older ones may take up to 11⁄2 hours or more. The best way to check is to scoop out a couple and try them — they should be tender. As soon as they’re ready, thoroughly drain the chickpeas but hang onto about 2⁄3 cup (160ml) of the cooking water to thin the hummus a little, if necessary. Pluck out and discard the garlic cloves, chilli and bay leaf.
Scrape the chopped garlic into a blender or food processor (a blender is ideal as it makes for a finer texture), then add the lemon juice and salt. Leave them to sit for 5 minutes — this helps soften the powerful bite of the garlic. Add the tahini and 1⁄2 cup (125ml) iced water and puree until the mixture is smooth.
With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a fine stream. When the mixture is lovely and creamy, stop the machine and add all but 1 tablespoon of chickpeas and the ground cumin. Continue to blend everything together until the mixture is as smooth, light and creamy as possible. This may take 5-6 minutes, depending on your blender or processor. If the hummus seems a bit too thick and dense, pour in some of the reserved cooking water to thin it a little (remember that it will thicken a bit more once it cools). Finally, taste the hummus and add a little more lemon juice, salt or cumin to balance out the flavours.
To serve, spoon the hummus into a bowl. Drizzle over a little olive oil and sprinkle with the reserved chickpeas, smoked paprika, sliced chilli and herb leaves, if using. The hummus keeps well in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week. —
makes 3-4 cups