In my first couple of years in the US, I couldn’t get over how
popular hummus was in this country. I was surprised because hummus had managed
to become popular despite how it was prepared and served: dense in texture and
bland in flavor. It wasn’t anything like how we prepare and serve it—and Turks
are not even the masters of it. Back home hummus is soft and airy in texture; light,
lemony9, and spiced in flavor. It is served in shallow plates, never in deep
bowls. You cannot be parsimonious with lemon juice, water, and olive oil; a
good hummus needs them.
My experimentations with hummus have a lot to do with having
kids. Realizing what a nutritious, not just delicious, snack it was I started adding
or hiding colorful vegetables in hummus. Beets are just one of them and absolutely
our family favourite.
1 small to medium beet root
1 ½ cups cooked check peas
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1-1 ½ lemons
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup yogurt
Salt
4 tbsp olive oil (3 in and 1 for the top)
Water (even better cooking water from the chickpeas) as
necessary
Optional
Paprika
Cumin
Sesame seeds
Nigella seeds
Parsley
-The Beet: Wash well and then cut the bottom and top parts
of the beet root. Cut the beet into four or, if it’s a big one, 8 pieces. Toss
with a little bit of olive oil, place on a parchment paper and bake for 45
minutes in a preheated oven at 400F. (Do not discard the stems and leaves if
they came with those. Try this
beet greens with olive oil recipe.)
-The Chickpeas: I always buy chickpeas in bulk, soak them in
water overnight, and then boil them until cooked for 1-1 ½ hours. It is best to
use them right when they’re warm since the skins will be soft and easy to be
smoothened by the blender.
Most authentic way of making hummus requires peeling the
skins off. I find it very time consuming and have figured out an easy way out;
If you are using canned chickpeas, put them in a pot with water and boil for 5-10
minutes to soften the skin.
I take what I need and freeze the rest of the chickpeas in jars filled with 1-2 cups for later use.
-Put tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice in the blender and
run until smooth.
-Add the beet (~1 cup) and blend.
-Add chickpeas, yogurt, and salt.
-Add water to thin. Humus should be soft and fluffy. It most definitely
should not be like a paste.
-Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, or water.
-Ways to serve: Hummus is usually served in a wide shallow
bowl in Turkey, never in a dip bowl. For regular hummus, we usually heat 1-2
tbsp olive oil in a small pan. When it’s hot, before it burns, we add paprika
and let sizzle for 5 seconds. Then pour it over the hummus on its serving
plate. Chopped parsley is another way to serve it. Some people like to drizzle
olive oil and sprinkle cumin powder on top—this is my least favorite. I like to
serve beet hummus with chopped parsley or dill on top or with sesame or nigella
seeds. All is delicious.
-Traditionally, hummus is scooped with bread/pita bread;
however, it’s good with pita chips, crackers, and fresh vegetables.
