LEBANESE HUMMUS

The first time I tried hummus was three years ago during a little road-trip through Luxembourg's north. It was the end of a great training course held in the Grand-Duchy. People from all over the world came to my little country to discuss and think about intercultural communication and cooperation. This was my first experience within the European Youth in Action Program.  Some of the participants were staying a bit longer to discover Luxembourg a little bit more in detail. 

On a sunny day we went up north to the lake to relax after the busy days. At some point all of us were hungry and we drove to the nearest supermarket. Anne, my Luxembourgish friend, who just came back from a 2 months internship in the Middle East convinced us to buy hummus. Of course our Jordan friend agreed immediately and the two of us remaining were curious to discover this chickpea delight. From that very moment on I am a huge fan of hummus, knowing that the industrial one cannot compete with the original. So I decided that when I do already like the hummus from a Luxembourg supermarket that I need to try the original as well.

Once said, now done! Last year I travelled to Lebanon for a training course on human rights. I had one and a half day after my arrival to discover the little country before the training started. On the first day my friend Ghassan took me to an authentic Lebanese restaurant. I was happy because knowing him we could have totally gone to a Pizza place. My friend ordered 4-5 dishes we shared in order to have me try a maximum of mezze. This is how you call the different dishes which form one meal. After the training Ghassan took me to the south of Lebanon where we have delicious lunch just next to the sea. My choice was made in a second - hummus of course. I couldn't have enough of it and everywhere we went I took hummus. Before leaving my friend bought me a jar of original tahini which I used regularly back home.

I recently tried several times to prepare hummus with different recipes, and not later than two months ago, my Lebanese friend here in Luxembourg brought me an original Lebanese cookbook. I tried it once, twice adapting the recipe to my personal taste without changing it too much. I still want it to be as authentic as possible. I love the Lebanese kitchen and be sure to find another range of varied recipes in the upcoming months. I'd say it's one of my all time favorite kitchens. So if you're reading the post, thanks again dear friend! This definitely was a perfect gift for a globetrotter like me. My best travel memories are always in relation with food; friends & food juste simply work without one another.

This time, I tried a little extra. Several months ago I ate hummus with wasabi, which I adored because it gives the whole thing a little spicy something. As the portion you get with the recipe below is quite big, I took 1/3 and added some wasabi. 

For the classical hummus you need:

250g cooked or 105g dried chickpeas

1tsp baking powder (if using dried chickpeas)

150ml tahini

2 crushed garlic cloves

30ml lemon juice

1/2 tbsp salt

60ml water

Put the chickpeas and the baking powder into a mid-sized bowl. Add water and let them soak overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse them, then put the chickpeas into a saucepan full of water. Don't add any salt for cooking because this changes the texture of the chickpeas. Bring to the boil and let them simmer for 1h-1h30 until the chickpeas are very soft. Now you can drain them again.

Now, whether you chose dried chickpeas or cooked ones, peel them. You might think I am a bit crazy but experience shows that the hummus gets much creamier if you peel them. It's certainly not the most pleasant thing to do, but as the result is much better, it is worth it. Put one single chickpea between your thumb and your middle finger, push a little bit until it pops out.

Now mash the chickpeas with a blender. Add the tahini, the crushed garlic and the lemon juice. Blend again until you get a thick and dry mix. Add the salt and the water little by little while blending again until it gets smooth and creamy. 

If you would also like to prepare the wasabi hummus, separate one third into a small bowl and add a tsp of wasabi. Mix for 1 minute until the wasabi is evenly added. 

Spoon the two into two different serving plates. Garnish the classical version with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and paprika powder. You may also add chopped red pepper and parsley just like you prefer.

Enjoy!!!

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