Makin' it Monday - hummus

Hummus or is it houmous, hummous, hummus or humos?

Whatever - homemade hummus is the easiest-peasiest thing ever!
It is so much nicer than the store bought variety, thought there are probably deli brands that are pretty good - but the cost? Oo-la-la!

This dip is whizzed up quicker than you can say "chickpea"! and is cheap as chips.

I use canned organic chickpeas, but this is probably even better if you cook your own chickpeas.
Cooking your own take s abit of planning ahead because you need to soak chickpeas overnight and then cook for about an hour until they are soft.

When you have your chickpeas at hand (rinse your tinned ones in cold water first) toss them in your food processor or blender, along with 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1 teaspoon of pressed garlic and the juice of a lemon.

Whizz it all up.
If you are using a blender you might need to scrape the mixture from the sides of the goblet.

Add some chopped parsley, half a teaspoon of ground cummin, some black pepper and a pinch or more of paprika.

Whizz again.

Taste to see if it needs salt.
I find that using tinned chickpeas makes it salty enough but add a little salt if you like.

This makes a rather thick spreadable hummus, if you want a more dippable one add some water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Traditionally this is served with a puddle of olive oil in the middle, but I serve as is with crackers or pita bread.

Do you make your own hummus?
Remember to leave a thoughtful comment if you'd like to go in the draw for one of planettreasures' necklaces here. It's drawn tomorrow evening.