Moroccan Spiced Hummus
Love hummus but never have had the nerve to make it yourself? Let me tell you that it is neither time consuming, nor difficult! Hummus is healthy and just about anything can be added to it to tickle your tastes. I have flat bread rounds in my freezer so I have decided to make hummus with a North African spice blend and I am certainly pleased with it. I have made hummus prior to this a few times, one with roasted red peppers and garlic, one with tomato, garlic and basil, one with Pakistani spices and now this, with Moroccan spices. Let's get to it, shall we?
Ingredients
2 14.5 ounce cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon Moroccan curry spice
1 rounded tablespoon of garam masala*
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (or more)
1 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano
Add all of the spices into a small skillet over medium heat to toast. Once aromatic, add the spices to a spice grinder and process. Set aside.
Rinse the garbanzo beans, or, hominy, in a strainer and set aside. Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (evoo) in your food processor with the garlic and one tablespoon of the garam masala*. Garam masala is a luxurious, aromatic mixture of ground spices and herbs and leaves. You can find it at many grocery stores nowadays, but I prefer to purchase my spices at a local Middle Eastern grocery store where I know the ingredients, oftentimes in one bag, are authentic. It includes paprika, coriander seed, cumin, fenugreek leaves and more.
Now, add half of the garbanzo beans to the food processor and another tablespoon of evoo and a teaspoon of the spice blend.
Process the first batch of the garbanzo beans until a paste forms on the perimeter of the processor bowl. Add another drizzle of evoo, another layer of the spice blend and process, again, until it is a paste clinging to the perimeter of the processor bowl. Repeat if you have another batch of garbanzo beans to process.
Use a spatula to remove the hummus and place it into a container for future use or a bowl for serving.
Add another drizzle of evoo atop the hummus and garnish with one of your favorite herbs. I used sage this time as my oregano has perished in the summer heat on my westward facing patio. Sad me. I also added a gentle pinch of finishing salt.
I will be serving this tomorrow with flat bread wedges oven baked drizzled with evoo, rosemary and grated garlic. Stay tuned for the updated blog post! I am posting this now by request!
What best goes with Hummus? Flat Bread Chips, oven baked with evoo, rosemary, garlic and smoked sea salt! Simply take a package of round flat bread, use a pizza cutter to slice two rounds (three tears) of flat bread (or pocketless pitas!) like a pizza, into wedges. Drizzle evoo or spray evoo non-stick spray onto foil placed over a baking sheet. Sprinkle the salt, rosemary and garlic atop the foil. Now, arranged the chips over the foil. Drizzle evoo atop the flat bread wedges and repeat with the salt, rosemary and garlic atop of the wedges. Bake for ten minutes at 375-degrees. When the wedges come out, they are still pliable, but, they will harden when allowed to rest, so do not bake more than ten minutes.
Prior to baking......
And after baking. Let cool about five minutes before serving or placing in a container.
I hope you have enjoyed these simple, flavor-loaded recipes. If you make them both at once, you will be done within an hour, tops! Now, you have no reason to be afraid to make hummus and, you now know how to make your flavor-packed serving chips!
As always, I am ever humbled and grateful for your visit. Now, go cook something for someone you love!
~Martin
In-House Cook
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