One of the many things I was looking forward to on my trip to Dubai was some authentic hummus. It is not the most uncomplicated dish, the savoury, middle-eastern dip is widely popular across the globe. Yet, somehow, they do not taste the same everywhere. Everybody has their own way of making hummus, some use tahini paste or blend the sesame with boiled chickpeas straight away. Some use olive oil, some have found many creative substitutes. The hummus, we tried (and liked) in Dubai was thick yet smooth. Never too tangy or bland, the perfectly savoury hummus was always enough to finish the Saj breads and meat on our tables. The dip is so popular that it also has a day dedicated to it. That’s right 13th May is the International Hummus Day, recognizing a simple delicacy that actually binds almost all of middle-east together, and beyond.
It is difficult to tell as to where hummus originated, or even the era. But the hero ingredient, chickpeas have been widely popular in Egypt and other Levantine countries across centuries. They would cook them in stews or use it for other hot dishes, pureed chickpeas was also eaten cold, however, the addition of tahine (sesame paste), does not appear in records before the Abbasid period in Egypt and the Levant.
Cookbooks going back to 13th century have hummus recipes that are quite different from hummus of today. For instance, a hummus recipe made with cold purée of chickpeas with vinegar and pickled lemons with herbs, spices, and oil, but no tahini or garlic, appears in the Kanz al-Fawa'id fi Tanwi' al-Mawa'id. And chickpea puree blended with tahini called hummus kasa appears in the Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada. This recipe contained vinegar and even many spices, herbs and nuts but garlic is absent.
Hummus has travelled and evolved with time. Nowadays, you have many quirky-flavoured hummus too like avocado or tandoori hummus. To celebrate this special day, we have handpicked 5 of our favourite hummus recipes. Here you go.
Classic Hummus
No extra frills and pomp, classic hummus made with chickpeas, lemon, tahini cloves of garlic always hits the spot.
Sweet Potato Hummus
Take some small sweet potatoes, chop, peel and bake the same and then blend it with your tahini, garlic and chickpeas to make this savoury goodness. Perfect to pair with any breads.
Green Goddess Hummus
Parsley, basil, green onions come together to make this thick and creamy hummus, a sensationally low carb dip for your meals.
Beet Hummus
Give your hummus a pretty, pink makeover. Chop up some beetroot and blend with boiled chickpea beans, garlic, tahini, extra virgin olive oil and you have this beauty in a matter of minutes.
Chocolate hummus
A delicious sweet appetiser, perfect to be served with freshly cut fruits, dried apricots, grapes et al. Brimming with goodness of cocoa, vanilla extract, tahini, chickpeas and maple syrup, this sweet dip is just too good to be true.