If chips and dips are your favourite thing to munch on, shifting to hummus can be the healthiest thing you can do. Made with chickpeas, the Middle Eastern dip is not only nutritious but also lip-smacking. Whether you’re having a house party, planning a movie night, or simply making a platter of chips and nachos, you can add this protein-rich dip to your spread.
Even though hummus is readily available at grocery stores, making it at home makes it preservative-free and lets you customise the ingredients as per your taste. So, if you want to make a fresh batch of hummus at home, all you’d need is chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Just follow these handy tips and you’ll get the creamiest hummus.
Cook The Chickpeas
While a standard recipe to make hummus will guide you to boil the chickpeas, to get the creamiest batch, you need to cook them till the chickpeas are almost mushy. You can soak the chickpeas overnight to get a better result. But since you would be blending the chickpeas, it’s best if they are extremely soft.
Peel The Skin
Peeling the skin of the chickpeas might sound like an extra step, but it’s going to make a lot of difference in making your hummus smoother. Even though the outer skin is edible, its grainy texture can come in the way of the consistency. Once the chickpeas are cooked, you can rub them in your palms or squeeze each chickpea one by one.
Prep Tahini And Lemon Juice
Before you start processing the hummus, whip up the tahini and lemon juice. Take premade tahini or make it from scratch and blend it with a squeeze of lemon. Whip them together for at least one minute to emulsify the tahini, making it creamier. Once you get a thicker consistency, the base for your hummus dip will be ready.
Use Ice-Cold Water
Once all the ingredients are ready to be processed, you can put them together in a food processor. Instead of blending all the ingredients at once, a hack that can take your hummus to the next level is adding ice-cold water or even a few ice cubes while processing. The low temperature will emulsify the dip, resulting in a smoother texture and airier hummus.
Season And Garnish
In about five to ten minutes of processing, your hummus should be ready with a smooth consistency. But before you serve, don’t forget to season it with a little olive oil. Simply swirl some extra virgin olive oil into the dip, making an impeccable swirl. You can also add a pinch of paprika, chopped parsley, and a few whole chickpeas on top of the hummus to make it more presentable.