Authentic Hummus Recipes

Steps:

• Drain and rinse garbanzos. Do NOT use can juices for the liquid in this recipe. They 'muddy' the flavour of the end result.
• Put garlic, tahini and salt in a blender or food processor and buzz until ingredients are well mixed (10-15 seconds).
• Add garbanzo beans (one can at a time) and blend after each addition. You can reserve a few whole beans for garnish.
• Add lemon juice and blend.
• Add as much water as you need for the consistency you like. I usually use it all, unless the lemon is ultra juicy.
• Spread hummus on a flat plate. Create a bowl shape by elevating the edges with hummus.
• Drizzle olive oil over the hummus, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with reserved whole beans and chopped parsley.
• Serve with flat Arabic bread. It's nice to toast the bread lightly in the oven.

Steps:

• Rinse the garbanzo beans and and place in a pot. Fill with enough water to cover by at least 1 inch. Add baking soda, if using. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat until the beans are very soft, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Drain the beans, reserving some of the water to use later. Reserve a small handful of the whole beans for a garnish. Transfer the rest to a blender or if you have a hand blender, a large bowl. Blend the beans until smooth, adding 1/2 cup of olive oil gradually. Add some of the reserved water if needed to help it blend. Add the tahini and blend in along with the lemon juice. Blend in the garlic, cumin and salt.
• Spread the hummus into a flat serving dish and garnish with the reserved beans and a drizzle of olive oil.

Steps:

• Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Soak the garbanzos (chickpeas) in water for 6 hours. there should be enough water to more than cover the chickpeas and allow them to expand.
• Drain the chickpeas and put in a large saucepan with 2 litres of fresh water.
• Simmer for 1 1/4 hours - or until the chickpeas are very tender.
• Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1 cup of the liquid. Allow the chickpeas to cool (I often run them under cold water).
• Put the chickpeas in a food processor with all remaining ingredients - except the reserved liquid and the extra oil and paprika.
• Process until smooth and creamy looking, adding some of the reserved liquid until the desired consistency is achieved.
• Serve drizzed with olive oil and paprika.

Steps:

• Basic Tahini Sauce: Break up the head of garlic with your hands, letting the unpeeled cloves fall into a blender. Add the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend on high for a few seconds until you have a coarse purée. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes so the garlic can mellow.
• Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large mixing bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Add the tahini to the bowl, along with the cumin and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk the mixture until smooth; the sauce will lighten in color. Whenever the tahini seizes up or tightens, add ice water bit by bit (about 1.5 cups in total), whisking energetically until you have a perfectly smooth, creamy, thick sauce.
• Hummus: After your chickpeas have soaked overnight (at room temperature with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and plenty of water), they should be doubled in volume. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place the chickpeas in a large pot with the remaining teaspoon of baking soda; add cold water to cover by at least 4 inches. Bring the chickpeas to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and continue to simmer until the chickpeas are completely tender, about 1 hour. Then simmer them a little more. (The secret to creamy hummus is overcooked chickpeas; don't worry if they are mushy and falling apart a little.) Drain into sieve, and press gently to remove excess water.
• Combine the chickpeas, basic tahini sauce, salt, and cumin in a food processor. Purée the hummus for several minutes, until it is smooth, thick, and über-creamy. Then scrape the sides down and purée it some more! Make sure the food processor isn't getting warm; if it does, let it cool before continuing to purée.
• To serve, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, top with parsley, dust with paprika, and add a generous pour of olive oil. (Note: If you've made the hummus ahead of time and refrigerated it, let it come to room temperature and beat well before serving to restore its smooth, creamy texture.)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place unpeeled garlic cloves in the middle of a large square of aluminum foil. Drizzle cloves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; wrap in foil. Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool. When slightly cooled, squeeze roasted garlic out of peels.
• Combine roasted garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until very creamy.