International Hummus Day 2021: Easy Recipe To Make The Middle Eastern Spread From Scratch

Hummus is a very popular Middle Eastern dip that consists of chickpeas, sesame, garlic, and lemon juice. It is made by grinding all the ingredients into a thick paste, drizzled with olive oil, and served in the form of spread accompanied by pita, salad and falafel.

The dish, primarily made out of cooked and mashed chickpeas and often flavored with several spices, is now a global favorite but is a predominant part of the Israeli food culture. Israelis have a special love affair with the creamy dip and a plethora of Israeli sandwiches and pitas are considered incomplete without the presence of hummus in them.

Since the nutritious, healthy filling has won hearts worldwide rather than just being a Middle Eastern culture icon. International Hummus Day was first commemorated on May 13, 2012, to honor the gem of a cuisine.

If you have been meaning to make some tasty hummus at home, here is a simple recipe that you can try. Good thing, you can whip this up simply from scratch. (Courtesy: Spruceeats)

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas
¼ cup of the liquid that the can of chickpeas consists of
3-5 tablespoons of lemon juice, as per taste
Tahini, sesame paste- 1 ½ tablespoon
Peeled and crushed garlic- 2 cloves
Salt- ½ tablespoon
Olive oil- 2 tablespoon
A handful of parsley for garnishing

Procedure:

Separate the liquid in the can from the chickpeas and set it aside. Put the drained chickpeas, lemon juice, sesame paste, crushed garlic, and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Now, add in the reserved liquid measuring about ¼ cup. Blend the ingredients for 3-5 minutes on low flame until completely mixed and smooth.

Place the blended substance in a bowl and make a shallow well in the middle. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in the well and finish off by garnishing the dish with parsley.

The dish is ready to serve alongside warm pita bread. The leftovers can be also preserved in the refrigerator for later use.