The defining ingredients of hummus are chickpeas and tahini (sesame paste). It can be hard to distinguish either of these flavours in shop-bought hummus but, by making your own, you have control over flavour and texture. Plus you get to lick out the mixing bowl.
Chickpeas are a nutritious vegetarian staple and provide protein, iron, B vitamins and fibre to soups, stews and casseroles or can be made into falafels or burgers. A note on the chickpeas if using pre-cooked – now that’s what I call a convenience food – they vary in size and tenderness from small bullets (desi) to the larger and more plumptious (kabuli). A particular favourite of mine are the Spanish variety in jars (Garbanzos) although it is advisable to rinse off the brine in which they are preserved. To be honest you can’t go wrong with any variety of this pulse and it’s no real hardship to soak overnight in cold water, then boil for 1 hour the next day.
This recipe takes advantage of the wild garlic season and creates a really zesty dip that can be served with flat bread, tortilla chips or vegetable sticks; as a baked potato filling; with salads as a main or starter; in sandwiches or wraps.
