This post is dedicated to my friend Bar, who taught me the secret to good hummous, and to Amy who kindly requested me to post it.
I first became acquainted with middle eastern dishes when I met my Israeli friend Bar, who among a rich plethora of vocational and travel pursuits, also trained at Cordon Bleu in London. When I asked what the secret to a good hummous was, he whispered, "Arab piss". While I am sure he was joking, (at least I hope he was), what I have learned most from Bar over the years is how cooking can be a metaphor for life; and that you should do it with great passion and intuition.
Soak overnight one cup of dried chickpeas or employ the faster method which is to bring the chickpeas to a boil, then let soak for an hour.
In a pressure cooker, bring the chickpeas and 1/2 tsp of oil to a boil. Cook at high pressure for approximately 15 minutes. Let cool and rinse.
In deep vessel add the following:
cooked chickpeas
juice of 1 whole lemon
1 small garlic clove minced
3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp virgin olive oil
salt to taste
Using a Braun hand mixing wand, puree the ingredients until it's semi-smooth. If the mixture is too stiff add small amounts of water. You may also use a standard blender, but I have found the hand tool much easier for cleanup.
