Hummus
This hummus starts from dry chickpeas that are cooked until they nearly fall apart, which gives a smoother, creamier dip than most canned versions. Baking soda in the soak and a skim of the loosened skins do the work that long cooking cannot. Garlic simmers with the beans and softens, while tahini, cumin and fresh coriander go in at the end. Serve it with olive oil, za'atar or toasted pine nuts.
Instructions
The night before, combine the chickpeas, 2.5 cups of water and the baking soda in a bowl. Leave them to soak for 6 to 12 hours, then rinse them well.
Put the rinsed chickpeas in a pot with 3 cups of water, the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. After about 45 minutes the chickpeas should have swollen enough for their skins to loosen. Stir, then lift out as many skins as you can with a slotted spoon.
Cover the pot and keep cooking for about 2 hours, until the chickpeas are almost dissolving into a paste.
Pour off the cooking water, keeping some back if you want to add it later for extra flavor.
Mash the chickpeas by pressing them through a pasta sieve, or blend them in a food processor. Let the purée cool for 10 minutes.
Stir in tahini and water a little at a time until the hummus reaches the consistency you like. Season with salt, ground cumin and coriander leaves.
Serve with any mix of olive oil, tahini, za'atar, roasted pine nuts or French fries. Fresh lemon juice can replace some of the water, and some cooks use tahini concentrate with lemon juice instead of diluted tahini.
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