An Ultimate Hummus Platter for your Holiday Celebrations… with Pita, Veggies, Pickles & Feta Cheese…! Plus, The Secret to make the World’s Best Creamiest Hummus… Let’s Party…!!
The most Popular & Healthiest Middle Eastern Dip – Yes… We are talking about Hummus today! Made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, this is one of the most adapted recipes with tons n tons of variations – From the Classic to Spicy versions, vegetable based ones like Baba Ganoush, Avocado / Roasted Red Pepper / Beetroot Hummus… the list just goes on and on, and they all have one thing in common, Yummiliciuos!! I am a Huge Fan of Hummus; I can eat it daily… I love it as a dip, or even as a spread on my favorite Crunchy Garam Masala flavored Chickpeas Wrap.
The health benefits of hummus are enormous. The core ingredient, Chickpeas / Garbanzo beans is a vegan source of iron, high in fiber content, and an excellent source of protein. It also helps to lower cholesterol and in weight management. Hummus can be served as a dip along with crackers, spread on a pita, or even to make sandwiches…the options are endless. I would suggest using dry chickpeas rather than store bought canned ones, coz canned chickpeas are high in sodium.
So, how can you make your hummus Creamier? The secret is, to peel the skin off the cooked chickpeas. Blending chickpeas with its skin on results in a grainy textured hummus, whereas take the skin off and you get an ultra-smooth and creamy dreamy Hummus! I know it sounds like a lot of work; peeling the chickpeas one by one, and it does test your patience… but it’s definitely worth the effort.
And during this holiday season, give your party a twist by creating a Hummus platter! Its pretty easy, colorful, vegetarian, and gluten free too (just go for GF crackers). Stack up your favorites, let your creativity flow, and impress your guests (Check out my Notes below for platter ideas)!
Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!!!
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- 1 cup dry chickpeas
- 2 cups water
- 2 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
- 6 tbsp tahini sauce
- 1 lemon squeezed (plus more if needed)
- 6 tbsp olive oil (plus more)
- 6-8 tbsp reserved liquid (or water)
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika / pepper (a pinch to garnish)
- Platter ingredients: carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, pickled olives, crackers, pita.
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Soak chickpeas overnight to rehydrate and increase its volume. Drain and rinse well before cooking.
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Pressure cook the washed chickpeas with a pinch of salt and water, for 3 whistles. Take the cooker off the flame, and allow it to rest till the pressure subsides. Take of the lid and reserve some of the cooked liquid, drain the rest.
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Remove the skin of the cooked chickpeas (Optional, preferred for a creamier consistency).
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Combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, reserved liquid, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
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Sprinkle paprika or pepper and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
1. For the platter, you can arrange all your ingredients on a large tray, plate, cutting board or baking pan.
2. Be creative in choosing your veggies, fruits, nuts, and dry fruits.
3. Include breads, pitas, chips, crackers, or wedges.
4. Feta cheese is optional, but complements well with the contents.
5. Either go for pickled or marinated olives / artichokes / sundried tomatoes.
6. To make your tray look attractive, fill it as much as possible by tightly arranging the ingredients without leaving any gaps.
7. You can substitute dry chickpeas with canned ones for ease.
8. Add more lemon juice to your hummus while blending if you prefer a tangy flavour.
9. You can also add more of the reserved liquid from the cooked chickpeas while blending, to suit your desired consistency.
I can eat it all day too!
Beautiful platter!
Thank You Makos 🙂
Would like to try your recipe but I have a question regarding the process/procedure. Kindly explain, “cook…for 3 whistles”. How long is “3 whistles”? Thank you.
3 whistles refer to the cooking time taken by your pressure cooker to reach max pressure and release it through its weight valve thrice. I use an Indian pressure cooker which makes a whistling sound while releasing the pressure, so 3 whistles is equal to 3 times you hear the whistle :-), hope this helps.
Hi
I tried this recipe, however it tastes really tangy. I think its because of the lemon.
How can I reduce the strong taste of lemon?
It depends upon your lemon size and tanginess preference. You can use half of a lemon squeezed (or less) and then taste and add more if needed.