In this post, I share the secret to making the most awesome hummus dip, from an Algerian recipe. This Algerian Hummus recipe delivers the most silky smooth and creamy hummus dip.
I’m going to share the secret to making the most awesome hummus dip. From a recipe appropriated from an Algerian friend. And, I am talking about the secret to a plate of silky smooth and creamy, hummus dip. My first taste of hummus was at a Lebanese restaurant many years ago, but I soon discovered the many variants – Israeli, Palestinian, Algerian, Egyptian hummus.. (you see where I am going with this?) So rather than weigh-in on the hummus ownership debate, let’s just talk about how to make a plate of bad-ass Algerian hummus right in your kitchen!
No Canned Chickpeas – Only Dried Chickpeas Will Do for this Algerian Hummus Recipe
If you are serious about making finger-licking-good hummus, you want to start with dried chickpeas, and not canned. Canned chickpeas are just not as nutritious as dried chickpeas, and contain preservatives and a lot more sodium than dried chickpeas. So, if we are going for a high-quality, packs-a-nutritional-punch hummus, then I am afraid there are no shortcuts. We have to go down the soaking and cooking route with dried chickpeas.
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Soak Those Chickpeas For The Perfect Hummus Dip
Before cooking the chickpeas, they have got to be soaked. The first time I made hummus, I really didn’t get too scientific about it and just soaked my chickpeas overnight and that worked out pretty well. Soaking overnight is the slow method. If you haven’t got the time, Nigella recommends this fast method where you bring the chickpeas to a boil, then take them off the heat and soak for an hour in water to which a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda (per 1 litre of water) has been added.
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Peel Those Skins off Your Chickpeas
Once the chickpeas are soaked and boiled to soft, set aside the aquafaba (the liquid in which the chickpea was cooked) and peel the skins off your chickpeas. And no, there are no masochistic delights derived from including this step as mandatory, but believe me, this step is the secret to a silky smooth and super creamy hummus dip.
And although I discovered that there is something oddly therapeutic about the monotony of peeling chickpeas one-by-one, you don’t have to peel the chickpeas individually. But, if you are a sucker for pain, please don’t let me stop you. There is another route though that shaves a good number of minutes off the peeling time as follows;
– place the cooked chickpeas in a bowl of water
– with as many chickpeas in your hands as you can hold, gently rub both palms together
– return the rubbed chickpeas to the bowl and repeat until you have a lot of peeled skins floating about in the water
– discard the water and the peels, and repeat this process until all the skins are gone
You might have to peel a few chickpeas individually, but it doesn’t compare to peeling hundreds right?
Aquafaba – The secret ingredient in the perfect hummus recipe
Always reserve the cooking liquid to use this to achieve the right consistency for my finished dip. Finally, blend your lemon juice and tahini first, before adding the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10 servings | 12 hours |
| Cook Time |
| 1 hour |
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In this post, I share the secret to making the most awesome hummus dip, from an Algerian recipe. This Algerian Hummus recipe delivers the most silky smooth and creamy hummus dip.
|
- 200 g dried chickpeas *
- 1 lemon
- 100 ml tahini
- 150 ml aquafaba
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt to taste
- Place the chickpeas in a bowl and add cold water enough to completely cover the chickpeas. Leave to soak overnight
- Drain the chickpeas, and then add to a saucepan. Cover with enough cold water and on high heat, bring to boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for approximately 60 minutes. To test if the chickpeas are cooked, place one chickpea between your thumb and index finger and apply a gently pressure, which should cause the chickpea to soften ("give") beneath your fingers.
- Drain the aquafaba (the chickpea cooking liquid) and set aside for use. Squeeze the lemon to extract the juice and add the lemon juice and tahini to a food processor. Blend until the lemon and tahini mixture is whipped into a thick paste.
- Then add the chickpeas, garlic, cumin, olive oil and aquafaba. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- 200g of dried chickpeas yields approximately 400g of chickpeas after soaking.
Is this recipe right for you?
The information shown is an estimate, and does not replace a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you. Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #africaonyourplate.
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Afro-fusion Food Lover.
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