Humus

Another dip that's served all over the Middle East is humus. There are tons of different recipes available online and in recipebooks. Last week I used a basic recipe from one of my cookbooks and tweaked it a bit to my own taste.

What you need (approx. 4 servings):
small can of chick peas (Bonduelle, 212ml)
2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tsp harissa (chili paste)
1 clove of garlic, minced, or 1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
salt & pepper to taste
dash of lemon juice

Drain the chickpeas in a collander and save the liquid for later. In a small bowl, puree the drained chickpeas and the other ingredients with an immersion blender (or throw everything into a small food processor). Add some of the saved liquid if the puree is too thick for your liking and taste occasionally. Add some more harissa, salt, pepper or cumin if necessary.
Serve with pita bread or crudités (raw veggies) for dipping. Should keep in the fridge for at least a couple of days.

Try this: a bit more taste and colour? Add a red roasted pepper (from a jar) to the rest of the ingredients and blitz to a puree in your food processor, like I did in the picture.