HOMEMADE HUMMUS IS JUST BETTER. I never used to think that until I started making it and realized that my entire family would eat up everything I made while they'd leave the half-eater store-bought versions to go bad in the fridge. While there are delicious hummus options on the market, the reality is that you cannot capture that homemade freshness entirely in a pre-packaged product. Why I now take the time to quickly make small batches of hummus at home - literally 1 cup at a time. It also allows me use legumes that no one sells as hummus, including black chickpeas. There is a slightly extra layer of work to the process because I cook my chickpeas from dried. Yes, it makes a huge difference. Canned will work, but you won't get that same level of freshness or flavor. You can either cook your beans on the stovetop, crock pot, or in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, which I will say is the absolute best use of your pressure cooker. For the Instant Pot recipe, head to Chapter 3 (page 96) of my Instant Pot Indian cookbook. You'll see a list of your favorite legumes cooked to perfection with just water. If you have not explored this chapter yet, I encourage you to do so. It will help you make your beans quickly and easily from dried. For black chickpeas, I use 2 cups of soaked dried black chickpeas and 2 cups of water. After soaking overnight or one hour in hot, boiling water, I cook them for 25 minutes or more. Once cooked - and this is very important - drain them but SAVE that cooking water to use in the recipe below. It's called aquafaba (click for some great background from America's Test Kitchen). It's a great way to make your hummus creamy without extra oil. I simply save it in a glass jar in my fridge or portion it out in an ice cube tray. It only lasts about a week in the fridge so be sure to freeze it if you don't think you'll be using it immediately. To try this recipe with white chickpeas, click here for the recipe.
Food Processor: Black Chickpea Hummus
2 1/4 cups cooked black chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid)
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. Put chickpeas, garlic, tahini, salt, aquafaba, and lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Keep blending. The extra 1/2 lemon really makes a difference.
2. As the food processor continues, add the olive oil. Keep processing until smooth and fluffy. If you need to stop your food processor to add the olive oil, no problem. Serve with your favorite side like toasted naan, pita chips, or pretzels. I love using this dip for my veggie wraps and as a protein addition to a salad. For my hummus recipe using white chickpeas, click here. If you want a thicker consistency, simply adjust by adding another 1/4 cup of chickpeas or reducing the amount of aquafaba used.
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