Hummus bi Tahina (Chickpea Puree with Tahina)

Hummus is the Arabic name for chickpeas.It is also the name given to the popular Middle Eastern mezze dish.Hummus is a chickpea puree that is flavored with tahina,garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.It is a very simple dish usually eaten simply with Arab flatbread as an appetizzer or snack or as a filling for sandwiches like felafel.Hummus is also eaten in Israel, Turkey,Greece, and Cyprus.It is so popular througout this region ,that several countries have claimed credit for its creation Hummus Wars

Though hummus is readily available in most supermarkets, nothing beats the taste of homemade and it is worth going through the extra effort to make it.Its fairly easy, the only difficult part is the soaking of the chickpeas.

Servings:2c
Ingredients:
1 1/4c soaked in cold water at least 8 hours, then drained
juice of 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, mashed
salt
4-5 Tbsp. tahina
olive oil, for drizzling
fresh parsley, for garnish


1. Bring four cups of water to a boil and cook the chickpeas for about 1 1/2 hours or until they are soft.
2. Remove from heat then drain.Blend the chickpeas with the remaining ingreddients in a food processor till it has a puree texture.Taste.Adjust seasonings, if necessary.
3. Pour into a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil and fresh parsley.Serve with Arab flatbread(khoubz).