One of the most traditional dishes in Lebanon is hummus. Hummus in Arabic means chickpeas. Its origin has been part of the Lebanese cuisine for centuries. Hummus is commonly served for breakfast, as an appetizer or as a main course. It is common to serve hummus simply with a drizzle of olive oil or topped with spiced beef, pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil. Hummus is always accompanied with warm fresh bread, typically pita.
My favorite way to eat hummus is the way my grandmother serves it. She tops the hummus with a drizzle with olive oil and whole chickpeas. Her hummus is typically extra garlicy and lemony.
Ingredients
3 cups of chickpeas (2 cans of rinsed chickpeas)
3-4 tbsp of tahini
2 lemons (this is approx. 6-7 tbsp, I prefer mine extra lemony)
Salt to taste
Ground cumin (optional)
Olive oil to drizzle
Instructions
Rinse canned chickpeas in a pot and cover them with fresh water. Bring chickpeas to a boil to soften.
Reserve the water from the boiled chickpeas and allow the chickpeas to cool. Add chickpeas to a food processor with the garlic.
Process the chickpeas with the garlic until blended, followed by adding tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth.
If needed use the water from the boiled chickpeas to loosen the hummus. Be careful to add the water slowly! Remember you can not take water out once you have added it!
Place the hummus on a plater and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with your choice of bread and enjoy!
As we say in Lebanon #sahten wo alf hana.