Pasty chickpeas!

[novapsyche]

Do you have a favorite brand of hummous?

If you have made some from scratch, what is the most difficult thing about doing so?

I ask because I've noticed that I can spend up to $10 a week on hummous, which to me seems a bit much.

Comments

[quiet-flame.livejournal.com]

I tried making it from scratch a few days ago and it tasted gross. I blended a can of chickpeas, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and a clove of garlic in a food processor. I ommitted the usual lemon because I can't eat lemon (this is also the reason I can't buy ready-made hummus at the store--it always contains lemon.) Any ideas on what I did wrong? Maybe the lemon is just a really crucial ingredient? I dunno.

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

You're missing a key ingredient: tahina (sesame paste). You can also add other flavors such a garlic, za'tar, and pine nuts.

[quiet-flame.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay! Probably a dumb question, but can one buy tahina at your average grocery store?

[guppiecat]

Yes, one can. It may also be called "Tahini". You'll likely find it in the Asian / Indian section.

[quiet-flame.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

You can find it in almost any health food store as well as larger supermarkets that have ethnic food aisles and/or health food sections.

[quiet-flame.livejournal.com]

Excellent. Thanks!

[guppiecat]

There is nothing difficult about making hummus. All you need is a blender to cook the chickpeas in and a blender.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

A blender to cook the chickpeas in?

[jennkitty.livejournal.com]

muhahahaha.

ahem.

[custardfairy.livejournal.com]

There's not a particular brand, but the stuff I can get at the kebab palace or house or lean-to in downtown Ann Arbor is so delicious and perfect.

Tahini is about $5ish. Everything else is cheap, cheap, cheap. A 16oz jar of tahini will make huge quantities of hummous when combined with the other ingredients. It also lend hummous the creamy smoothness that makes it so nommy.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Let me know which stores in particular you're talking about. Maybe we could go shopping together sometime.

[custardfairy.livejournal.com]

Egads, my initial comment was typo-laden. Ahem. Meijer actually has the ingredients you need (not sure that the Kroger closest to you would) or of course you can usually get better deals at places like Aladdin's Market on Packard. I'd love to go shopping with you sometime!

If you look at Meijer, do not feel obligated to purchase the absurdly pricey chickpeas in the international aisle. The plain old non-imported ones in the canned veggie aisle work just fine. ;)

[brendand.livejournal.com]

Yes, and it's on sale at Meijer this week... buy two get one free. It's in the green packaging, and I can't think of the brand right now.

Never tried to make it.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I went to Meijer on Friday (payday), and their lone little refrigerator where they kept the hummous was sadly empty (aside from salsa, which I did not want).

I ended up back at Kroger.

[pachamama.livejournal.com]

hummous is dead easy to make if you have a good blender/food processor, and dead cheap, too. Don't skimp on the olive oil, is my advice.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I have neither, but one of the two will be bought in the next year.

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

We used to get cans of hummus "starter" (made in Beirut!) really cheap and then just added oil and a splash of lemon to it, but I've never made it completely from scratch. A friend did, and the only downside was that even in the blender, it turned out a little lumpy. Personally, I wouldn't mind chunky, but it may be a downside for some.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking that, from scratch, you could use a mortar and pestle . . . but, of course, I'd have to get a mortar and pestle to do that.