Hummus (Greek)
Hummus is a nutritious dip originating from the Middle East. It is called revythosaláta (ρεβυθοσαλάτα) in Greek.
- Prep
- 46 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 47 min
- Total
- 2 hr 33 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Soak the chickpeas in water overnight, then drain.
Procedure
Gently simmer the chickpeas with the 9 cups water (generously salted) and the tablespoon of oil until very soft, but still whole (about 3 hours, or 10 minutes + cooling time if using a pressure cooker).
Procedure
Drain the chickpeas, and reserve a few cups of the cooking liquid (you will need it later).
Procedure
Rinse the chickpeas with plenty of cold water. While doing so, gently rub them between your hands to release the skins—they should float away with the rinsing water. After several changes of water, and removing a majority of the skins, drain the chickpeas again.
Procedure
Using a food processor (or other means), mix the lemon juice with the tahini.
Procedure
Purée (or mash) the chickpeas in batches, using the lemon juice and tahini mixture, the olive oil, and the cooking liquid as required to maintain the desired consistency (add the garlic to the batch with the olive oil, and process until smooth).
Procedure
In a large bowl, using a spoon, mix the salt and pepper into the other blended ingredients (add additional cooking liquid, if still too thick).
Notes, tips, and variations
1–2 tablespoons of asafoetida (hing) powder can be used to substitute for the garlic, which may otherwise be omitted.
Notes, tips, and variations
Use a pot that will hold several times the volume of the chickpeas and the water for cooking the chickpeas, because they will foam (the tablespoon of oil minimises that, however).
Notes, tips, and variations
Use olive oil instead of the reserved cooking liquid to thin the hummus. Alternatively, mix in a tablespoon of olive oil into a serving before eating.
Notes, tips, and variations
It's particularly good when eaten with sliced French stick (bread), and it is traditionally eaten with pita bread. It is also a nutritionally sound alternative to most other dips.
Notes, tips, and variations
Hummus freezes really well, so consider making a double batch, and then freezing most of it in containers small enough to hold two servings (they can be defrosted overnight in the refrigerator, as needed).
Notes, tips, and variations
Hummus is NOT a traditional Greek dish—it derives from Cyprus and the Middle East. Chickpeas in the traditional Greek cuisine (at least in Attica and Cyclades) are usually eaten only as soup.
Photo: Donovan Govan. · CC BY-SA 3.0 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 13 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Nutrition information is not available for this recipe yet.
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