Jamie Oliver's The Best Hummus Recipe

I always dream to create a beautiful space to hangout, host friends, cook meals, drink tea, read books. And be pretty hostess. 

It didn't take me long to tackle this challenging task from the fail-proof steamboat where everyone gets to enjoy the food, which has been briefly cooked in hot broth to appetizers & cheese platter to whole day challenge resulting in my first sausages platter and cranking out chilli lime prawns in wonton cups for friends since. 

Jamie Oliver's basic hummus recipe receives everyone's LIKES! That creamy dip that hails from the Middle East, has a reputation as a clean, healthy food. It deserves it. All the main ingredients are super food in their own right. It's got chickpeas, taihini, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in most traditional versions. 

Hummus isn't just for dipping. It makes a great sandwich spread, too. Seeing a 10 year-old Zi Han spreading thick layers on his baguette and kept praising the hummus. (Confidence booster for moi!) Try it instead of mayonnaise. You'll get more protein and fiber for half the calories you would get from mayo. Hummus adds 1 gram of flat to your lunch box, compared to 5 grams for regular mayo.

Photo credit to Adrienne

Why I love this recipe. When I first figured out how to make my own hummus, I was pleasantly pleased at how easy and fast it is. With just 6 ingredients, you can really make creamy smooth hummus at home and yes, I really think it's better than store-bought. 

Two things: First, I use canned chickpeas, which is much quicker than using dried. Adrienne and Florence swear by buying chickpeas from Little India, soaking and steaming dried chickpeas but I'm just not that patient and I love canned chickpeas means I can enjoy hummus in 10 minutes. Second, the recipe calls for tahini, a creamy paste made from sesame seeds. You can easily find tahini in larger supermarkets.

Basic Hummus recipe

(Adapted from Jamie Oliver)

I use half of Jamie's recipe and is good for 7 pax as a started and paired with baguette. 

1 x 400g can of chickpeas (reserve the liquid and a few chickpeas for decoration)

2 tsp tahini

1 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp crushed sea salt

3 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)

1-3/4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

paprika (optional)

coriander or parsley leaves (optional)

Rinse the chickpeas in cold water and tip into the food processor. Add the tahini, crushed garlic, salt, lemon juice, and three and one half tablespoons of the reserved liquid from the can. Turn on the food processor and slowly pour in the oil while it runs. 

When the mixture is fully combined and smooth, tip it into a serving dish. Drizzle with some extra virgin oil and decorate with a few whole chickpeas. Sprinkle with paprika and finely chopped or parsley leaves, for colour. 

Store hummus in airtight container, up to 7 days in fridge.