Hummus Bi Tahini

By exdircomp

NOTE: To cook dried chickpeas put 3/4 cup in a medium bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain, put in a saucepan, and cover with fresh water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until soft, about an hour. Drain and cool. Makes 2 cups cooked chickpeas.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste; recipe follows)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3/4 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cooked and drained (see note) OR 2 cups (1-pound can)chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil (garnish)
• Chopped fresh parsley (garnish)
• Pitas, cut into wedges (recipe provided in my Tried & True cookbook)

Preparation

Step 1

Put the tahini, lemon juice, water & garlic into a blender or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and process until smooth.

With the machine running, gradually add the chickpeas, salt and pepper, process until the mixture is the consistancy of a very thick paste. If necessary, stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula. The mixture will thicken when refrigerated, so if it seems too thick when you’ve finished prcessing it, add up to 1/2 cup more water and process again. Taste to correct seasonings.

Put the hummus into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, to chill. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the chopped parsley. Surround with freshly made pita wedges.

To store, refrigerate , covered, for up to one week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 2 cups.