Cypriot Recipes

Chickpea Puree – Hummus

Hummus or houmous is a Levantine food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Today, it is popular throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe.

Ingredients

1/2 kg chickpeas (soaked overnight)

1 cup tahini (beaten) *

5-6 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil salt, paprika

finely chopped parsley

* Note: Tahini is a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds used in North African, Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Tahini is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.

Preparation

1. Drain chickpeas, spread on a tea towel and roll a bottle over them to remove the husks.

2. Boil the chickpeas until soft. Dry and mash.

3. Beat the tahini and combine with the chickpeas.

4. Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. If the paste is very thick, add liquid from the chickpeas.

5. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley and pour a little olive oil over the purée.

Source: www.moa.gov.cy