Recipe(tried): Hummus bil tahina

Hummus bil tahina

8 oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
(I frequently use canned chickpeas)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tbsp. tahina (sesame seed paste)
3 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
paprika to sprinkle

Drain the chickpeas but reserve a few tablespoons of the liquid. Pur e them with the garlic in a food processor or blender but keep a few peas for garnishing. Add tahina and lemon juice. The pur e should be creamy and if it is too thick, you can add some of the reserved liquid. Add salt to taste. Pour into a wide, shallow bowl. Make a well in the centre with the back of a spoon. Pour olive oil into the well and add a couple of whole chickpeas. Sprinkle with paprika (sometimes a black olive is also added for garnish, or some chopped parsley). This should be served at room temperature so if you are using canned peas, it is best to warm them before you pur e them.

I have several Middle Eastern cookbooks and they all have a recipe for hummus but there is not much variation between them so I guess this is pretty much the standard recipe. But I ve seen several fanciful American variations around.