Curry Spiced Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Curry Spiced Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Originally published on Sept 27, 2012.

Our family loves hummus. We have several versions that we make and enjoy at almost any time. We serve it at get-togethers with friends, as a healthy snack or even as a great simple lunch with some good crusty bread like the great baguette from our local Georgestown Bakery. You don't need a reason to make some delicious hummus; just to have it on hand is reason enough.

You can use canned chickpeas but if you do, try and get them with no salt added. As with many canned foods these can be high in sodium and it is always best to season hummus yourself to control the amount of salt.

When cooking dried chick peas you have to do a little planning ahead, as you will need to soak them overnight or at least for 12 hours in plenty of water. One cup of dried chick peas will make a good sized batch of hummus, enough for at least 4 people to share. Cover the chickpeas with 3 to 4 times the volume of water to chickpeas and add a tablespoon of baking soda to the water. This will help to soften the chickpeas.

Chickpeas do not cook quickly, even after soaking and again, you will be seasoning the hummus in the final preparation so NO SALT in the cooking water. Rinse the chickpeas after their soaking stage and very gently simmer in unsalted water for 1 to 2 hours until they are very soft and creamy at the center with no grainy texture at all. Change the cooking water half way through the cooking time and skim any foam off the top as they cook as this can affect the final taste. When fully cooked, strain in a colander let the chickpeas cool down for 20 minutes before continuing with the preparation of the hummus. Some recipes suggest saving a little of the cooking water to mix in at the end if you want a thinner consistency to the finished hummus which is an excellent idea.

2 cups cooked or canned (no salt added) chickpeas

6 cloves (1/2 head roasted garlic)

1/3 to 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1 tsp garam masala spice mix

juice of one large lemon

3 tbsp yellow curry powder

1 tsp chili paste (or 1/2 tsp red chili powder)

1 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger root

3 tbsp chopped chives

salt to season to taste

1/4 tsp pepper

Add the cooked chickpeas to a food processor and process until very creamy. Add the other ingredients and blend in well. Fold in:

1/2 cup roasted red pepper, diced small

3 tbsp chopped chives

Traditionally served with drizzled olive oil and chopped parsley.