How to Make Hummus From Scratch

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This is the best hummus recipe based on the authentic Lebanese methods. Hummus is a healthy snack that’s made with a few ingredients and perfect for parties.

What is Hummus

Hummus is a popular middle eastern dip or spread made with chickpeas. A basic hummus recipe is made with cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. All the ingredients that go in the making of hummus are healthy. Making hummus from scratch is easy and you can just whip it up easily in a food processor or blender.

While preparing hummus tahini is required. Tahini is a famous middle eastern spread made from sesame seeds. You only need two ingredients: sesame seeds and oil.

The Oil

Like other nut and seed butters, tahini can be made without any added oils. However, it takes longer to grind and the result is not as creamy as it is when using oil. Start with a couple of tablespoons of oil and increase as desired for a thinner consistency.

For the best flavor use a mild olive oil, a neutral oil such as grapeseed oil, and/or a small amount of sesame oil.

The Method

Many tahini recipes call for grinding the sesame seeds and oil together all at once. I have found that grinding the seeds before adding the oil produces a smoother result.

Tips to make best hummus recipe

  1. Use dried chickpeas – The best hummus comes from using dried chickpeas and not canned chickpeas. So yes do take some time to soak chickpeas and then cook them. A pressure cooker is great resource for cooking chickpeas thereby saving time. After boiling cool them completely I usually refrigerate for some time.
  2. Cooking chickpeas really well – to get a nice creamy smooth hummus, the chickpeas have to be really cooked well and become mushy. They should be easily mashed when you press them between your fingers. Any raw bits in the chickpeas, can ruin the hummus.
  3. Peeling chickpeas or not – Some hummus recipes call for peeling chickpeas. Now peeling chickpeas takes a lot of time. Usually I don’t peel chickpeas when making hummus. Even without peeling them you can get a smooth hummus. But if you want a really super smooth hummus, then take some time out and peel the chickpeas.
  4. Tahini vs sesame seeds – both tahini and sesame seeds work very well while making hummus. I have used both tahini as well as sesame seeds at different times – and both of them give a good taste.
  5. Olive oil – one of the ingredient that I always recommend while making hummus is olive oil. So do use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. It does make a remarkable difference in hummus in terms of flavor and taste.
  6. Ice Cubes I would recommend adding 2 or 3 ice cubes while grinding, it helps to smoothen out the mixture.

Variations you can make in hummus recipe

Some herbs or greens or roasted vegetables can be added while blending. So depending on the flavors you want you can add the herbs or greens. so you can make various variations in a basic hummus recipe. Today i am sharing the recipe of Beetroot Hummus also. It has a refreshing flavor of hummus and beets, and is delicious as a dip or healthy spread for an appetizer or on sandwiches.

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4.84 from 6 votes

How to Make Hummus From Scratch | Basic Hummus | Beetroot Hummus

This is the best hummus recipe based on the authentic Lebanese methods. Hummus is a healthy snack that's made with a few ingredients and perfect for parties
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, starter
Cuisine: Lebanese
Keyword: Basic Hummus Recipe, Beetroot Hummus, easy recipe, healthy recipe, Hummus, hummus from scratch, tahini paste
Author: Bhawna Maharshi

Ingredients

For Tahini :

  • 1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil

For Basic Hummus :

  • 1 Cup Chickpeas, boiled
  • 4-5 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Lemon Juice
  • 2 tbsp Tahini
  • few ice cubes

For Beetroot Hummus

  • 1 Cup Chickpeas boiled
  • 2 small Beetroots boiled and peeled
  • 3 tbsp Tahini
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 4-5 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 Lemon Juice
  • few ice cubes

Instructions

Tahini:

  • Heat a clean, dry cast iron or heavy duty skillet over medium high heat and add the sesame seeds. Stir frequently until they begin to turn golden brown and then stir constantly. Be careful, sesame seeds burn very easily.
  • Once they're toasted, let them cool a few minutes then add them to a food processor.
  • First grind without adding Olive oil.
  • Now add Olive Oil and Process the mixture into a paste, scraping down the sides.
  • Store the tahini in an airtight jar in the fridge and it will last for several months.  Stir it throughly before you put it in the fridge because once it's chilled it's difficult to stir.  

Authentic Hummus Recipe :

  • Add chickpeas and minced garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until a smooth, powder-like mixture forms.
  • While processor is running, add ice cubes, tahini, salt, and lemon juice. Blend for about 4 minutes or so. Check, and if the consistency is too thick still, run processor and slowly add a little hot water. Blend until you reach desired silky smooth consistency.
  • Spread in a serving bowl and add a generous drizzle of Olive Oil.
  • Add a few chickpeas to the middle, if you like. Sprinkle Red Chilli Flakes and Parsley on top. Enjoy with warm pita wedges and your favorite veggies.

Beetroot Hummus:

  • Wash and peel the beet root and boil or roast till they are soft.
  • Drain the water and keep aside.
  • Add all the ingredients including the boiled chickpeas and beetroot in a blender and blend to make a smooth hummus.
  • Add little more water if required.
  • Spread in a serving bowl and add a generous drizzle of Olive Oil.
  • Add a few chickpeas to the middle, if you like. Sprinkle Roasted sesame Seeds and Mint on top. Enjoy with warm pita wedges and your favorite veggies.

Video

Notes

  1. Need to thicken your hummus some more? If for some reason, you ended up using a bit more liquid that you should have, cover and refrigerate the hummus for an hour or so before using. It should thicken up a bit. Otherwise, another trick I used to do is to add 1 to 2 tbsp of Greek yogurt to hummus to also add some creaminess (you would  have to blend it again in the food processor). But with this recipe (and tips mentioned above) I have not needed to do this.

Serving hummus

Hummus is great as a spread on sandwiches or burgers or wraps (rolls). It is also served in a lebanese meze. You could also have it as a dip with fried, roasted or steamed veggies.

Best is to have hummus with pita bread. We even have hummus with chapatis and parathas. Sometimes I make wraps with falafel and add hummus as a topping in the wrap.

Homemade hummus can be refrigerated and stays good for 4 to 5 days.

Cooking with lots of love and straight from the heart.

Bhawna Maharshi

Pans n Ovens

9 thoughts on “How to Make Hummus From Scratch”

  1. Reema kundra says:

    5 stars
    Goof recipe good job

  2. Tithi Maharshi says:

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious! can’t wait to try some!! 🙂

  3. Debjani Guha Biswas says:

    5 stars
    Loved the beetroot hummus

  4. मीना पराजुली says:

    Delicious

  5. Meghna Maharaul says:

    4 stars
    Excellent recipe ?

  6. Poonam Singh says:

    5 stars
    Wow so beautiful presentation
    Beautiful colours ???
    perfect recipe ??

  7. Anonymous says:

    5 stars
    Awesome

  8. Devipriya says:

    Wow so satisfying to see such a lovely recipe ???

  9. Kavita ashok says:

    Fabulous ! My daughter is a hummus fan .. we will try this !

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