There are recipes that take me on a journey, and this hummus recipe is no different. Although not very new to me, I thought it fit now to do this recipe as a representation of the vibrant Syrian / Lebanese cooking culture on the island. So, off I went on my Trini food adventure….Again.

First stop was by my popular Arabic food restaurant “Lawrence of Arabia” to savour and absorb all I could. There, I ordered some sleek, garlic roasted lamb, and some hummus with arabic bread.

Next, I just inhale it all in…*inhale with me* Ahhhh! The aromas just tickled my nose, teasing me, and enticing me to take a taste. I couldn’t hold back! I just dipped the Arabic bread into the humus. Dip, and in it went.

The creamy texture mixed in with the nutty taste of the tahini and lime juice was heavenly. No, I mean I swore I went up to heaven for 2 seconds. Then, I came back just in time to savour a second wave of tastes and textures. This food court is my own little food heaven against the noise, hustle and bustle of commerce. However, the fun didn’t end there.

I had to have this hummus at home, and now nothing was going to stop me.

Homemade Hummus and Tahini

So, how do you make hummus? “Hmm! Put on laptop, mouse click! mouse click! type hummus on uncle google search, read, read.. ” Hummus I found out is easier to make than I thought. During my search, I thought I may have to get some exotic spices from the middle east or something but that was not the case.

Indeed, you’d be surprised that hummus can be made right at home with little amount of ingredients. All you need is chickpeas (channa), tahini and some garlic, paprika for garnish etc.. This is just your normal run off the mill seasonings you have right at home.

Well, that did it. I gathered my ingredients and started the process. We were going to have some hummus with CRIX crackers or something that evening. STOP! But wait, what about the tahini? The ingredient list called for tahini. Where was I getting that? It turns out that tahini was just lightly toasted sesame seeds blended with a little olive oil.

It is blended to the consistency you desire. However, I wanted mine like a paste, so I did not add too much of the oil. Now, the taste of the tahini was reminiscent of bene seed (sesame seed) chutney, sans the garlic and chadon beni. (In case you are interested, Bene seed chutney recipe can also be found on this recipe site click here).

A Trini Twist to Hummus

Eventually, my discoveries had me thinking of some creative spin, and of course I couldn’t help it. So I added a little Trini twist in the final mix for the hummus recipe. All in all, the hummus was spot on. And, maybe even better that the store bought, lol.

Everyone enjoyed it, though it was a new “taste” for them. However, that is how it’s going to be for a long time in my kitchen. There will always be new tastes, new textures and the ever looming new food adventures. It will be there, waiting for me around the corner. The future awaits. Here’s hummus, a Middle Eastern dish gone Trini. Enjoy.

A Homemade Hummus with Tahini Recipe

Hummus

3 cups pressure cooked channa (chickpeas)
3/4 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup lime juice
6 cloves garlic
3 pimento peppers
1 tbsp chadon beni, minced
3 tsp salt
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup reserved channa water (will explain)
paprika and parsley for garnish

for the homemade tahini paste
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3 tbsp olive oil

Let’s make the tahini paste first.

Parch the sesame seeds over a low fire until golden brown.

Place in a food processor and add oil (extra oil can be used until desired consistency is reached)

Now for the hummus recipe.

Soak the channa overnight.

Pressure cook for 15 – 18 minutes. Drain.

Reserve some of the water. Set aside.

Add the channa, tahini, pimento peppers, chadon beni, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, channa water and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil, Sprinkle paprika and add a sprig of parsley in the center for garnish.

Here we’re having our hummus b’ tahini with our very own cheese crackers. Yummy!