That beauty called Hummus!

As I was licking it away with Rotis today, I realized that I don’t have a recipe of Hummus on my blog. And which self-respecting blog doesn’t have the recipe for Hummus, tell me? :)

And so, here it is!
The much spoken about, the most loved , the healthiest and the easiest dip ever – HUMMUS!
Ta da!

Now, the recipe for hummus itself doesn’t differ from blog to blog , its the same all over. What might differ is what is added to the hummus to get a flavour after its done. I have some ideas towards the end of this post.

Ingredients(For two people, for two days)
Chick Peas – 1/2 C, soaked overnight in water
Garlic cloves – 8-10
Extra virgin olive oil – generous quantities
Sea salt – to taste
Lime juice – juice of half a lemon

Instructions
Pressure cook the chick-peas till they are soft.
Once the peas are cooled, in a mixer blender, blend all the ingredients. Drizzle olive oil to enable the blending.
The resultant mixture should have a smooth texture.

Ideas
1. I have a recipe book which talks about adding some yogurt to the chick peas while blending it. Though I am yet to try this version, its a good idea. Certainly ups the health quotient of the dip, and adds a certain tangy flavour too
2. There is a variant of Hummus which is flavoured with basil pesto. Either you can swirl in pesto after the hummus is made or blend the chick-peas with basil leaves while preparing the hummus
3. Garnish Ideas – Parsley, Red paprika powder, Ground pepper, Extra virgin olive oil, Toasted sesame seeds – Any or all of these together give a great taste to the Hummus
4. Hummus can be used as a dip for crackers, side-dish for rotis, or with bread for sandwiches.
5. I have once eaten a version of Hummus which used sesame oil instead of olive oil while blending the peas. Great flavour. And healthy too.