Chick Peas……I love them, eaten extensively in the Mediterranean countries and important in Indian cooking, they are called garbanzos in Spain, pois chiches in France, simply ceci in Italy and known as chana dhal in India.
Most people have a can in the pantry and as a Vegetarian I am often asked what to do with them. Where to begin, add them to casseroles, add them to couscous, make a little dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and finely chopped onion, throw over and serve warm as a side salad. Fantastic as a satay dish or an Indian chana dhal curry…..I could go on and on, but I will start with how I usually answer, Make Hummus.
As a Veggie I am always asked what to do with chick peas.
I am lucky enough to have a food processor, but this will work just as well with a blender. Make a little time to give this a go just once, if you enjoy chips and dips, you will never buy hummus again; the only downfall is a little washing up. I think it is so worth the effort and much cheaper and tastier than any bought ones I have thus far tried. Always happy to eat for the sake of my writing so if you have any brand suggestions or a better recipe, please share.
Drain a 390g tin of chickpeas and dump into a food processor or bowl if you are going to use a stick blender, add two cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp of tahini paste and blitz. Slowly add 4 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp if warm water. Keep on until the mixture is creamy. Add the juice of 1 lemon and salt and pepper if you want. NOW EAT. SIMPLE.
NOTE. Chop garlic a little if using a stick blender. Lemons vary in size and some are juicier than others so add taste, add taste, if you are fussy about how lemony you want it. I personally do not care and squeeze with gay abandon. I use two cloves and this is just right for me, others might like more or less, I would say this is a garlic lovers hummus. Tahini paste is made from hulled sesame seeds and can be found in supermarkets or increasingly in veggie shops. I never add salt or pepper and quite often double the recipe with no problems. This recipe is very forgiving and I am usually quite sloppy with my measuring to no ill effect. I also make a camping version where I squash the chickpeas with a fork, add a chopped garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Perfect on warm toast.