Chickpeas are such a delicious legume and can be cooked in so many different way. Hummus is one of the most popular. It’s so versatile, can go on anything and everything. It’s bloody delicious if made correctly.
The key is to use chickpeas that are soaked overnight (for better digestion) and cooked really well to get a creamy hummus. Don’t waste your time removing the skin of your chickpeas, once it is cooked. If you have a high powered blender like the Vitamix, the skin does not affect the taste or how creamy your hummus turns out. In fact any high powered blender will work. If you don’t have time to soak chickpeas overnight, then use canned, but strain out the water, rinse well and re-cook your canned chickpeas till very soft. Canned chickpeas are always quite firm and a bit under cooked.
Chickpeas are a legume that is high in protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber and is a great alternative for people who don’t eat meat. This legume can be used in so many different ways, made into curries, used in salads, used as the main ingredient for vegetarian burgers, dry roasted and eaten as a snack and of course not to forget the most popular dish called hummus.
In India, this is a well loved legume and used across all the different regions, in many varied way. There are two varieties of chickpeas (Kabuli and Desi) used in India, based on the size, colour and taste. Chickpeas are very important in terms of how it’s used in the diet of Indians, as well as for commercial purposes. Almost every single household in India will have a pressure cooker that is used for cooking lentils and legumes such as chickpeas.
My most favourite India dish made out of chickpeas is called Channa Masala which is chickpeas made into a thick gravy with lots of delicious spices, onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes. I also love chaat, which is a combination of many different savoury dishes with chickpeas in them. Served as street food and very popular amongst almost all Indians.
I cook chickpeas very often in my house and use in so many different forms. I will share some of my delicious Indian recipe, that use chickpeas, as and when I have time. For a start, here is a simple hummus recipe, albeit not an India recipe, but inspired by my love for Indian food. This hummus recipe can be used in your sandwiches, wraps, eaten with crackers or vegetables, spread over crispy lettuce leaves and topped with thinly sliced carrots, tomatoes, red cabbage and folded into a wrap. Sometime I will mix in a heaping tablespoon of hummus into a bowl of freshly cooked hot rice or on top of warm soba noodles. Be creative, use your imagination and create your own ways of eating hummus.
Vitamix Hummus Recipe: How to make Hummus in a Vitamix
Equipment
- 1 Vitamix Blender Any blender will do
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 4 cubes ice
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt or as per your taste
Instructions
- Soak 1 heaped cup of chckpeas in warm water overnight or for minimum 8 hours if possible. If you're using canned chickpeas, you might need 2 cans
- Rinse soaked chickpeas well after soaking and cook in an instant pot or a pressure cooker or a regular pot till the chickpeas are soft. If you are using canned chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas after opening the can and cook in fresh water till very soft. (cooking till its extremley soft, a bit mushy will yield creamy silky hummus)
- Once your chickpeas are cooked, strain all the water out and add your cooked chickpeas to a blender
- Add, freshly squeezed lemon juice, whole garlic, tahini, salt and 4 cubes of ice
- Blend on high speed for a good 60 seconds in a vitamix blender, starting always at variable 1 and increasing the dial to 10. Use the tamper to push down the chickpeas while its blending.
- Check for taste and add more salt if needed
- Turn in to a servng dish and pour olive oil over the hummus. Top with chily powder and parsley or mint leaves. Or store in containers to use later.