ROAST RED PEPPER HUMMUS
When I think of middle eastern cuisine, smokey roast vegetables are one of the first flavours that come to mind. This recipe is a great combination of creamy, vibrant hummus with an extra kick of sweetness, spice and smoke. Whenever you’re cooking hummus I would always reccomend making a big batch. It’s almost the same amount of work to double or triple a batch and hummus freezes surprisingly well for all of your meal prep needs. If you’re pressed for time and can’t afford to soak and cook the chickpeas, feel free to replace them with 2 cans of chickpeas. The results will still be great, just not as creamy in texture or as flavourful.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 large Red peppers
- 1 large Onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 t Bicarbonate of soda
- 1.5 T Smoked paprika , (~10g)
- 1 t Cayenne pepper 2g, ~2g)
- 1 T Cumin, ~(7g)
- 250 g Chickpeas, dried
- 30 ml Lemon juice, (~1/2 a lemon)
- 50 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 40 g Tahini
- Black sesame seeds , to taste
METHOD
- Begin by soaking the chickpeas in 1 litre of water with 1tsp of bicarbonate of soda. Allow them to soak in the fridge overnight.
- When the chickpeas are well soaked, strain into a large pot and add 2 litres of water and 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda as well as the onion and the spices. Bring up to the boil over high heat and cook for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until extremely tender.
FOR THE PEPPERS
- Preheat the broiler/ overhead grill of your oven or an outdoor grill to its highest setting.
- Place the peppers directly under the broiler (on top of some foil) or on top of the grill and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes or until completely blackened on one side.
- Turn over the peppers and repeat the process 1-2 more times until the vegetable is completely blackened.
- Place the peppers into a mixing bowl and once they are cool enough to handle, remove the stems (these should pull right out) and pour the seeds and internal juices into the mixing bowl.
- On a chopping board or in your hands, tear the pepper into two pieces and gently remove the charred skin with a small paring knife or some paper towel. Remove all of the skin and seeds until you are left with large pieces of roasted pepper flesh.
- Cut half of a pepper into a small dice for garnishing. Season this with salt, extra virgin olive oil, black sesame seeds and lemon juice and set aside.
- Strain the liquids from the bowl of seeds and reserve.
TO FINISH
- Combine the reserved liquid with the tahini, olive oil, , grated garlic and the juice of 1 lemon.
- When the chickpeas are cooked, strain off and reserve the cooking liquid. Immediately add the chickpeas to the bowl of a blender r food processor and add your seasoning mixture along with the large pieces of roasted red pepper.
- Blend until smooth, thinning out the mixture with enough of the cooking liquid. You’re aiming for the thickness of a thick milkshake (the hummus will firm up once cooled).
- Adjust the seasoning to your tastes and serve topped with the chopped red pepper mixture.
PRO TIPS
When I made these I ended up with plenty of hummus to get through and nothing to dip into it. I cut some pita into 1/8ths and coated them with olive oil, salt and za'tar. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes, these things are delicious!
Adding bicarbonate of soda to the liquid surrounding the chickpeas turns the pH slightly alkali which helps to break down the chickpeas, making for a smoother consistency,