Healthy Hummus Recipe (Updated)

Time for some cooking!

... Actually, this recipe doesn't involve any cooking on stove or oven at all, isn't that cool?

I know Hummus is a very common dip for the Ang Mohs although the dish is actually originated from the Middle Eastern. While you can easily find tubs of Hummus (sometimes even with some fun flavours) in supermarkets such as Cold Storage which sells imported goods, I've recently learned that it is overly easy to make your own Hummus! I mainly followed this recipe but in stead of Paprika I added pepper (Malaysians' favourite Ajishio) to taste, and that's according to 2e's recipe. I think the recipe also calls for some cream and yoghurt which I took out too.

What you need:
A can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, about 2-3 tablespoons of Tahini (it's sesame paste, get this from supermarkets that sells imported or organic food), 1 clove of garlic finely chopped (you can have more than 1 clove if you like strong garlic smell), juice from a lemon, olive oil, ground cumin, salt and pepper or Paprika to taste.



What to do:
1. In a food processor, dump the chickpeas in.



2. Now scoop in some Tahini.



3. Then the chopped garlic.



4. Add in some salt, pepper and ground cumin (love the smell of cumin).



5. Add in the lemon juice.





6. Add in generous amount of olive oil.



7. Blend them all up, stopping occasionally to stir the ingredients together. Add olive oil to get smoother texture.

7. Stop after 15 minutes or until you get a smooth texture. Add in more pepper or Paprika to taste and you are done!



I have it to go with sticks of carrots, cucumber and celery but it goes damn good with pitta bread and water crackers (oh this has proven to be addictive). Some research from the Internet tells me the dish is low in fat and high in protein. So pretty healthy it seems. If you keep it in the fridge it can last up to five days, and if it dried off in the fridge, you just need to add some olive oil and stir them up. Of course if you have added enough olive oil when making it this will not be a problem.



For a first timer, I think my Hummus wasn't smooth enough. I think it requires longer time in the food processor or perhaps more olive oil or some water to smoothen it up. It tastes good to me, although I might want to try using freshly-boiled chickpeas or look for some imported canned chickpeas next time around for a more natural taste of the chickpeas.

It's definitely a great dip to go with vegetables for a light and healthy snacks and it's too easy to make! So happy trying people! :)

*Just made Hummus again, using Italian canned chickpeas (paid double the price by the way), upped salt, cumin and pepper for better taste and added water and it was such an improvement! Smooth texture and greater taste! Oh yummmzzzz...