In my blog about pantry staples, I mentioned garbanzo beans as a great item to always have on hand. There are several things which can be "whipped up" quickly and that are nutritious, tasty and satisfying. Hummus for me is one of those things I make often. It's easy, delicious and can be refrigerated for a few days and eaten in a variety of ways. Granted my recipe requires a few spices that the average person may not have on hand, but if you get some of these, you can most definitely use them in a myriad of other recipes.

I always opt for the canned chick peas or garbanzo beans, as they are easy compared with the dried kind. As a child, we never used anything but the dried type of bean; also known as "channa" in Guyana. This meant soaking the beans over night and changing the water, then the boiling them until they were tender. There was no instant gratification in eating channa. It was a long drawn out process. Granted, the texture is different and some may say superior from the canned variety, but I opt in favor of efficiency and time and the canned variety fits all of those criterion.

I hope you try this recipe, it really yields a delicious hummus. I usually make a batch as a quick hors d'oeuvre, or for the weekends when you're always looking for quick snack at home. It's such a useful and versatile dish and vegan as well!

HUMMUS

INGREDIENTS

1 tin garbanzo beans
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp for serving
1/4 tsp fresh ground cumin
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
A sprinkle of chili powder
1/8 tsp Garam masala * optional
Chopped parsley

METHOD

In a food processor, put garbanzo beans with liquid. Add the garlic and purée until smooth. Add the lime juice, dried spices, some chopped parsley and tahini and whizz together, incorporating well. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Pour into a ceramic serving bowl and pour 1 tbsp olive oil over the surface. Sprinkle a bit of cumin and chili powder over the oil and a bit of chopped parsley for color.

Note: I use the can of beans with the liquid. You may rinse the beans and opt not to use the liquid. In this case, you must add water to achieve the desired consistency of the hummus purée.

Serve with pita, naan, crackers or crudités.
Hummus platter served with Kibbe, garlic naan and Israeli salad