On Israeli Independence Day, the radio newscaster proudly announces how many kilograms of hummus Israelis bought to consume with pita, salads and grilled meat on the holiday. Hummus is a matter of national pride and everyone has strong opinions about who makes Israel's best. It’s true that if you don’t have time to prepare, store-bought hummus will do in a pinch. But, to be honest, it cannot compare with home-made, served hot with fresh olive oil, fava beans or lamb, along with a sprinkling of za'atar.
The basic ingredients of hummus are: chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and olive oil, but there are infinite nuances and microscopic (but oh-so impactful!) variations to the classic hummus recipe.
This is the recipe I have come up with over the years. In order to give the chickpeas a slightly richer flavor, I boil them with half a carrot, half an onion and two cloves of garlic. I then blend the vegetables and chickpeas together to create hummus a la Chef Rabbi Josh :)
Hummus ingredients
SERVES 10
• 2 cups dry chickpeas
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• ½ carrot, ½ onion, 4 peeled cloves of garlic
• 2/3 cup raw tahini
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 ice cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste and 1 tsp cumin powder
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Chopped parsley, za’atar for garnish
Instructions
1) In a large bowl, cover the chickpeas with water, add baking soda and soak covered overnight. The chickpeas will double in size.
2) In a medium pot, making sure the chickpeas remain covered with several inches of water, simmer the chickpeas with carrot, onion and 2 of the garlic cloves until the chickpeas are very soft (2-3 hours).
3) Remove chickpeas, carrot, onion and garlic from the pot and puree all together with the raw tahini, fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 raw garlic cloves, ice cubes, and just enough of the broth to make it creamy. Hummus should be smooth, so don’t skimp on the puree time.
4) Stir in olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
Lamb (or Beef) filling
• ½ kg (1 lb) ground lamb (or ground beef)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
• 3 tbsp raisins (optional)
• 3 tbsp date honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1) Saute the onions and garlic until they are translucent and golden.
2) Add the walnuts and raisins and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
3) Add the ground meat and sauté until the meat turns brown.
4) Add date honey, salt and pepper and stir for another minute.
5) Place a warm cup of hummus on a large plate with a rim.
6) With a large serving spoon, flatten the middle of the hummus.
7) Fill the flattened inner space with the meat (preferably hot).
8) Drizzle olive oil over the meat and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of paprika or za’atar.
Comentarios