A middle eastern dish which is smooth, creamy and mildly tasty. Good for serving with croutons or flatbread.

Soaking the beans

You may wish to soak the beans to lower the cooking time. This is essential if you are planning on cooking in a regular pot, but can be skipped if you use a pressure cooker.

Soak the beans in a brine for 12-24 hours prior to cooking.

Quantity	Measure	Ingredient
1	cup	chickpeas (dry)
2.5	tsp	salt
5	cups	water

NOTEL

Directions for pressure cooking

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl. Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak.
Transfer the contents of the bowl to a cooking pot. The soaking water should be enough to keep the beans from drying out while pressure cooking.
Bring the pot to a boil and add the weight to begin building up pressure. When you have steam escaping the weight you are ready to start a timer.
Cook the beans for 15 minutes if you soaked them, and 45 minutes if you skipped that step.
Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release.
Remove the skins from the cooked beans. You might need to cook them for a few minutes in water and 1 1/2 tspn baking soda to loosen the skins.

Directions for regular cooking

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl. Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak. It is not recommended you skip this step as it will lead to significantly longer cook times or a worse result.
Transfer the contents of the bowl to a cooking pot.
Place a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Start a timer.
Cook the beans for between 1 and 1.5 hours. You will need to check how tender they are by smushing some between your fingers.
Remove the skins from the cooked beans. You might need to cook them for a few minutes in water and 1 1/2 tspn baking soda to loosen the skins.

Basic ingredients

Quantity	Measure	Ingredient
3	cups	chickpeas (cooked)
1	clove	garlic
1	tsp	salt
1/3	cup	tahini
1	whole	lemon (juiced 60ml or so)
3 - 4	tbsp	water (cold or ice cubes)

Optional ingredients

Quantity	Measure	Ingredient
1/4	tsp	cumin powder
1/4	tsp	coriander seeds powdered

Perhaps try some variations with fresh herbs and chillis.

Directions

Discard the water and add the beans to the food processor. Blend until a smooth powder like consistency is achieved.
With the food processor running add two ice cubes of water, tahini, salt, and lemon juice.
While still running the food processor slowly add more water / ice until you reach your desired consistency.
Set aside a small amount of whole beans for topping the dish.

Serving the dish

Serve the hummus in a small bowl.

Add a good drizzle of olive oil to the top of the hummus and then the beans you reserved.

Sprinkle on one or more of the following: sumac, paprika / cayenne, fresh parsley, fresh coriander, chopped jalapenos.