Hummus and pita go hand in hand. This delectable Middle-eastern combination has savoured the taste buds of one and many around the world. The smooth and creamy hummus, for the unversed, is a dip or spread with the Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean flavours of mashed chickpeas, tahini, salt and lemon juice. I tried hummus and pita for the first time on my 18th birthday. Fortunately, I have clear memory of the day because I had taken my friends for lunch on my first adult birthday and it felt amazing. While the rest of my group was skeptical about the idea of trying a new cuisine, my excitement knew no bounds.
A small eatery named Fiddah, the restaurant’s vibe and aroma were totally in sync with the cuisine they were serving. As the hummus and pita platter arrived, I was quite tempted to dig in. Paired with some baked chicken wings, the soft pita bread dipped in the creamy hummus was a delight to the taste buds. Analysing the flavours, I realized that there was a spicy after-taste to the hummus which was quite good.
My curiosities led to me do a quick Internet search and I was amazed to see that was so easy to make. With a requirement of minimum and easily available ingredients, you can make hummus at home too. Here are some tips and tricks that might be helpful.
1. Cannot Go Wrong With The Chickpeas
Since garbanzo beans or chickpeas are one of the core ingredients of the hummus, you simply have to pick the right ones. While canned chickpeas can do the job too, it is the dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight which give a creamier texture to the dip.
2. Salt It Just Right
Too much or too little salt can make or break the deal. Since the dip is bland by nature, the right amount of seasoning, particularly salt, can enhance the taste of the dip.
2. For The Velvety Texture
That is possible only when you have your chickpeas soaked overnight. This lends the beans time to acquire a smooth texture and a pinch of baking soda might not do much harm to enhance the same.
3. Blend It With The Water
When you’ve taken out the soaked chickpeas and are ready to put them in the food processor, remember to save the soaked water because that will give an enriching flavour to the hummus, much more than normal water, while it is blending.
4. Nothing Can Beat A Good Tahini
For the unversed, tahini is a sesame seed paste which lends the hummus a creaminess like no other. Not only is the tahini super-nutritious, the kind of flavours it gives cannot be achieved with substitutes like olive oil.
5. Zest Up With Lemon Juice
The zesty flavour of the hummus and the bold and strong tastes are accomplished, all thanks to the lemon juice.