Hummus - Gluten Free Vegan Dip!!

Originating in Middle East, #Hummus is a naturally vegan and gluten free dip which is creamy in texture and has a lip smacking taste. The main ingredients in #Hummus are #Chickpeas, #Tahini and #Garlic. Chickpeas being great source of dietary fiber and protein, make hummus an excellent source of nutrients. It is usually served with Pita bread, Falafel and Wraps. Variety of flavors can be achieved in Hummus based on one's preferences. I personally am a huge fan of roasted red pepper hummus as I like to spice up my food a bit for my Indian taste buds.

I was introduced to middle eastern cuisine after marriage. I used to be a little skeptical to try anything that I hadn't tasted before, but due to my husband's constant nagging to not make opinions about anything before trying, I quit that habit. So, if I remember it correctly, Falafel wrap was the first thing that I actually tried without knowing how it might taste. And, Omg!, that was an eye opening moment. The taste just blew my mind, and that hummus won my heart. Now I feel so glad that I was introduced to this delectable dip and there was no looking back since then. Hummus Falafel wraps also remind me of the long walks I had with my office colleagues to have one of the best of those in the city. This time, I made roasted red pepper hummus to tingle my tongue, and also, roasted beetroot hummus which was inspired by one of the food artists I follow on Instagram. When I saw that bright pink hummus in her feed, I right away added it to my 'To-Do' list. Here I am sharing both the recipes with you. They are pretty similar with a few tweaks, and still quite straight forward to follow.

This recipe will make around 1 cup of each Hummus . Do try it. I'm certain that you'll love it!

List of Ingredients:

For Hummus

1. Chhole/White Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans - 1 cup.

2. Garlic Cloves - 6-7

3. Salt - per taste

4. Lime Juice - of 2 medium limes (Take more lime juice if you want it extra tangy).

5. Til/White Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup

6. Olive oil - 2 tbsp (to make Tahini) + 1 tbsp (to grind peppers) + 2-3 tbsp (to top hummus).

7. Sabut Kashmiri Lal Mirch/ Whole Kashmiri Red Peppers - 4-5.

8. Beetroot - 1 medium sized.

Easy to follow steps:

Take chickpeas in a bowl, add water so that they are well covered in it. Add some salt and soak them overnight. Boil them in a pressure cooker on medium heat for 10-12 whistles the next day. Let the cooker depressurize on its own. Strain them in a colander. Do not throw away the water (aquafaba). We'll use it while making hummus.

Let's make Tahini now. Take sesame seeds in a pan and roast them slightly on low flame for couple of minutes. Do not brown them, they should just have a light golden color. Once they cool down, transfer to a mixer jar and grind to a powder. Add olive oil and grind again to make a smooth paste. This paste is our Tahini!

We'll roast red pepper and beetroot now.

For Beetroot - Peel beetroot , brush some oil on it and wrap it in an aluminium foil. If you have an oven, place it in at 250°c for 50 minutes. I didn't have oven so I placed it on a tawa/griddle on moderate flame and covered it with a pan. To check if beetroot is roasted well, poke it with a knife in the center, it should be soft.

For Red Pepper - Take dried whole red pepper in a pan on low flame. Roast them for a minute or so until it's aromatic. Let it cool and transfer to a blender jar. Grind it to make powder first, then add olive oil and grind again to make a paste.

Let's move on to making hummus now.

For Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - Take half of the boiled Chickpeas in a blender jar. Add half of the Tahini paste. Red pepper paste, salt, 3 garlic cloves and juice of one lime. If you want it more tangy, add some more lime juice. Pulse blender to make smooth paste. If you feel it's dry, add chickpea water bit by bit. The consistency should be smooth and thick.

For Roasted Beetroort Hummus - Take remaining Chickpeas, Tahini, salt, lime juice, garlic cloves and roasted beetroot in a blender jar. Blend it to a smooth paste. Add some water if you feel it's dry and gets difficult to blend into paste.

And, here we have our beautiful bowls of Hummus ready! Drizzle olive oil on top and enjoy with Pita, Falafels, Wraps!!

Happily Stay Home!

Hope you liked the recipe and didn't find it too difficult. Let me know if this got you high on flavors. Don't forget to subscribe for more updates. Leave a comment for any questions/thoughts. Talk to you in my next mouthwatering recipe!

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