Another one in the Mediterranean series is the hummus. This is a dip made using chickpeas (garbanzo). Being a huge garbanzo fan, it is not a surprise that I love this dip. It can be used over pita bread or even regular bread and is very easy to make. Hummus is also a nice dip to go with veggies like carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. This is a basic version and there are tons of variations to jazz it up. I got this recipe from my friend as part of my Mediterranean spree a few months ago. K had been asking me to make it again ever since and I recently made it again with some variations listed in the notes section. Off to the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups cooked garbanzo (canned will also work)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini( store bought or home made sesame paste – refer to notes)
• 1/4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

My Notes

1. If using dry garbanzo, soak overnight and then pressure cook.
2. To make sesame paste at home, dry roast a cup of sesame seeds and allow to cool. Take in a food processor or blender and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil and make a paste.
3. You can add roasted red bell pepper for a variation.
4. I added chilly powder and cumin powder for a batch and it was good.
5. For another batch I added pickled jalapenos. You can also add regular jalapenos.

Method

Healthy and tasty dip ready to have with pita bread or regular bread.

 Enjoy!

Linking to Sara’s Lebanese event.