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Creamy hummus without tahini

Hummus with mashed chickpeas and garnished with olive oil, red chilli powder and sesame seeds
Hummus

How to make creamy hummus without tahini

Hummus is a very popular dish of the Mediterranean and Middle East countries. Typically eaten with pita bread, it is a creamy dip made with mashed chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil and other spices. In fact, tahini is one of the main ingredients added to this recipe to increase its smoothness, to build its texture and to enhance its nutritional value.

Tahini is conspicuous by its absence in Indian kitchens. We do not use it in any of our desi recipes. So why make it just to add it to hummus? We can skip tahini entirely and still make the hummus as delectable and creamy as ever. We just need to add some thick creamy yogurt and some powdered sesame seeds as a substitute to tahini.

Try this recipe of hummus without tahini:

  • Chickpeas (kabuli chana): 1 cup. To be soaked overnight and cooked with a pinch of baking soda to make it soft.
  • Juice of half a lemon or increase the quantity to suit your liking
  • Thick curd: 4-5 tbsp. Alternatively, you can use Greek yogurt here.
  • Roasted and powdered sesame seeds: 4 tsp
  • Olive oil: 2 tbsp
  • Red chilli-garlic paste (the one used in chaats): 2-3 tsp . Alternatively you can use red chilli flakes (1 tsp) and chopped garlic (8-10 pods)
  • Jeera powder – 1.5 tsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Little water to help it grind

For Garnish:

Olive oil, toasted sesame seeds, red chilli flakes/powder, finely chopped parsley/coriander leaves

Method:

Add all the above ingredients in a mixer and grind it smooth. The hummus  should be smooth and of the consistency as shown in the pic above. Garnish it and enjoy it as a sandwich spread or top it on Mediterranean pizzas to pamper your taste buds.

It stays good in the fridge for about a week in an air-tight container.

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