Though late, I lapped up the opportunity of savouring Lebanese and Middle-eastern food once I got exposed to it.
So you might ask, why Hummus? First of all, it is dang easy. So easy that you can say hummus and be ready with a spread to be had in less than 5 minutes.
Second, adding the caramelised onion and garlic like I did here, makes this hummus so delicious that you can base an entire meal around it without missing any protein.
Throw in a salad and get yourself some pita bread (ideally) or crackers and get into the world of this Mediterranean/ Middle-Eastern delight.
Caramelised Onion and garlic Hummus:
What You Need:
1 large cloves of garlic, minced well
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can of chickpea, rinsed
1 teaspoon of chillie powder (if you like it less spicy, use paprika)
1 tablespoon of cumin powder
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of thick yoghurt* [Check Note at the end]
1/2 tablespoon of Tahini paste
Salt and pepper (to taste)
A pinch of sugar (to caramelise the onions)
Method:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on a non stick frying pan.
2. When warm, add the chopped onion and the pinch of sugar. Wait for the onion to turn golden brown and caramelised.
3. Now add all the minced garlic and fry on medium heat until the garlic is also golden.
4. In the meanhile, in a large bowl, mix the rinsed chickpeas, cumin, chillie powder and salt and pepper.
5. Run it through a food processor to make a chunky paste.
6. Add all the onion, garlic and the oil it was fried in, to the paste. Run the processor some more.
7. Add the yogurt and the tahini paste. Run the processor until you have a thick but smooth paste.
8.Serve cold topped with the remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of chillie powder.
Ideal Accompaniments:
1. A fresh salad
2. Pita bread (Khubbus)... a light yeast bread to eat the delicious hummus with.
These are store bought. When I perfect my recipe, I would share it with you guys.
NOTE: * Thick yoghurt: If you don't find thick yoghurt, you can use hung curd.