Super simple but unique recipe for this stand-out-of-the-crowd hummus. Piquante peppers are such a delicious pickle that can be utilised in so many different ways in your kitchen. Apart from being a special ingredient in this recipe they also make a beautiful quinoa stew, very similar to atamalada, a popular Peruvian dish that I used to serve when working at Anna Loka vegan restaurant a few years ago. They also make a great filling for sandwiches and wraps. But what I truly recommend is stuffing them with creamy vegan cheese and serve as a mezze plate or part of a main course.
I love to eat this hummus simply as a dip served with tortilla chips or veggie sticks (carrots, celery, broccoli or fennel bulb - preferably organic). Due to its sweetness, it pairs best with slightly acidic flavours so you can put it in a wrap with vegan yoghurt, seitan, tomato and classic polish gherkins. Crunchy sauerkraut or kimchi and you're in heaven!
Ingredients:
2x cans of chickpeas (400g each (240g drained) or use 225g dried, soaked and cooked). For the dry to cooked conversion ratio see tips below
100g piquante peppers (usually bought in jars, available in most supermarkets)
5 garlic cloves (17g)
120g olive oil
75g water from the chickpea can or from cooking the chickpeas (see tips below)
15g/1tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp coriander seeds
3 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
1tsp smoked paprika (optional for an extra smokiness, or just use as a garnish ;- ) )
Method:
Place all of the ingredients (apart from chickpeas) in the food processor and blitz for around 1 minute, making sure all of the garlic has been pureed. Add chickpeas and blend until smooth. You can also use a bowl and a hand blender if you do not have a food processor and the effect will be the same. Add more salt or spice to adjust to your own preference.
Tips:
Adding more oil in place of water will result in a nicer, more appealing texture but I prefer it watery, simply to reduce the amount of oil consumed (as I eat a bowl of hummus a day!)
The recipe can easily be doubled, and any extra portions can be frozen. Make sure to blend or whisk well after defrosting to bind ingredients back together as the water will separate.
The dry to cooked conversion ratio for the chickpeas varies based on their water absorption. This depends on several factors such as how they were imported, if and how they have been heat-treated, or on the season they've been harvested to name but a few. As a rule of thumb, I use the wet amount from any recipe (let’s call this Y) divided by 2.12 to give me the dry amount I will need (let’s call this X). So X equals Y divided by 2.12 (X=Y÷2.12). So for this recipe Y is 480g (the drained weight of the canned chickpeas). Therefore, 480g ÷ 2.12 = 225g So for this recipe X = 225g. Soak 225g of dry chickpeas in water for a minimum of 6 hours, and then cook for 70 -100 minutes or until soft.
The less water you use to cook chickpeas the more you can reduce it and use to thicken up your hummus afterwards. It will turn into jelly when cooked down and this way you can use less oil in any of your recipes. You can do the same with the water from the can but it will taste slightly different and will be salty so beware of that!
Did you know - chipotle chillies are actually just smoked and dried, ripe jalapeño peppers?
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