Starting with the chickpeas, soak them overnight in a deep bowl, adding a double volume of water. The next day, rinse with cold water and transfer to a deep saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil using high heat and remove any scum that forms on the surface. Then reduce to medium heat. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or more until the chickpeas become soft and creamy if you taste them or If you try to mash one of the grains between your fingers to feel how smooth it is cooked.
I usually cook 1 kg of chickpeas, divide them into freezing Ziploc bags to grab later when needed
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Kg of cooked Chickpeas, or 2 cans
3/4 cup Tahini
1/2 cup of Lemon juice
1/2 cup Water, from the cooked Chickpeas
3 cloves of Garlic, or more to your taste
METHOD
After cooking the chickpeas, put them aside and let cool.
Drain the chickpeas, start processing the chickpeas to a creamy paste in the food processor for a few minutes. Then add to the food processor, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until you have a smooth paste. If it is too thick, add some of the chickpea cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time until you get a perfect consistency.
Pour the Hummus in the chosen dish, usually, (it is served in a pottery plate as with the Lebanese tradition), set few whole chickpeas in the middle of the plate and with pooled shiny olive oil around the whole chickpeas and dust with a dash of red ground paprika with our tasty Lebanese pita bread on the side.
**The main is to have the Hummus very creamy, yet firm.
