Hummus

Turkish Bazaar, Spice Blend

Hummus has been part of food culture in the Middle East for centuries with regional variations providing a certain flair to how it served, but the core remains largely untouched. Boiled chickpeas are blended with sesame paste (Tahini), lemon juice, garlic and, more often than not, oil.

While the preparation of hummus is relatively simple and bland, serving this humble dish is where culture and heritage flex their muscles. The creamy rich dip becomes a vessel for fragrant spices, floral herbs or even contrasting textures such as toasted cooked chickpeas or pine nuts. Topping off a Meze of hummus with fresh herbs, spices sizzling in hot olive oil or toasted nuts adds to its appeal, elevating its humble origins.

More recently the Western pallet has fallen in love with hummus, furthering its appeal by throwing all kinds of flavour combinations into the mix and cementing its presence firmly into modern food culture.

However how many of us actually take the time to make it at home? Is it a though that ever crossed your mind or am I preaching to the converted? Either way this recipe uses Mustard & More's Turkish Bazaar Spice Blend as the seasoning backbone from which to hang your favourite accompaniments. This spice mix gives a gentle nod to the heritage and roots of hummus gathering flavours and aromas from the spice roots of old, channeling through Istanbul before opening up into North Africa and the Mediterranean.

400g cooked chickpeas

60g Tahini... more or less

Juice of 1 lemon

100ml ground nut oil

6 cloves roasted garlic

1tsp salt

Turkish Bazaar Spice Blend to taste...

Blend this all together and add water to achieve the desired consistency.

Roasting the garlic first adds sweetness and a richness that's hard to replicate, however the trade off is that the sharp bite of raw garlic is lost. Adding a raw clove to the roasted cloves can be a pleasant compromise.

Much like the garlic, choosing which oil to use can dramatically alter the flavour. Extra virgin olive oil will give a slight bitter bite while sunflower oil give a blank canvas for the other flavours to shine through.

Why not try frying a teaspoon of Turkish Bazaar in oil with some whole cooked chickpeas and fresh coriander as a Tarka to drizzle over the top.

Enjoy!

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