Hummus Abu Hassan

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Drain the chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid. Set aside 120 g whole chickpeas for the topping. For extra-smooth hummus, rub the reserved topping chickpeas lightly between your fingers to loosen some skins, and if you have an extra minute, remove any loose skins from the remaining chickpeas as well.

   480 g canned chickpeas, drained120 ml reserved chickpea liquid or water120 g reserved cooked chickpeas from the drained chickpeas
2. 2

   Put the tahini and lemon juice in a food processor and blend for 30 to 45 seconds until thickened and noticeably lighter in color. This whips air into the tahini and gives the hummus a fluffier texture.

   100 g tahini45 ml lemon juice
3. 3

   Add the remaining chickpeas, garlic, 3 g cumin, 6 g salt, and 60 ml reserved chickpea liquid or water. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down once or twice, until very smooth.

   480 g canned chickpeas, drained1 small clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated3 g ground cumin6 g fine salt120 ml reserved chickpea liquid or water
4. 4

   With the processor running, add the ice cubes one at a time and continue blending for 2 more minutes. Add a little more reserved chickpea liquid if needed until the hummus is silky, thick but spoonable. Taste and adjust salt or lemon if needed.

   3 small cubes (about 45 g) ice cubes120 ml reserved chickpea liquid or water
5. 5

   Transfer the reserved whole chickpeas to a small saucepan with the hot water, 1 g cumin, and 1 g salt. Warm gently for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through but not reduced dry. The topping should be brothy enough to spoon over the hummus.

   120 g reserved cooked chickpeas from the drained chickpeas60 ml hot water1 g ground cumin1 g fine salt
6. 6

   Spoon the hummus onto two shallow plates or one serving dish while still slightly cool from blending. Use the back of a spoon to make a wide well and swirled rim. Spoon the warm chickpeas and a little of their cooking liquid into the center; the contrast of warm topping over whipped hummus is characteristic.

7. 7

   Finish with the olive oil, paprika, and parsley. Serve immediately with warm pita or crudites if desired.

   30 ml extra-virgin olive oil2 g sweet paprika8 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Origin & History

Abu Hassan is the nickname of a legendary hummusiya in Jaffa, famous for serving exceptionally smooth hummus topped simply and generously. This style of warm, freshly made hummus is deeply rooted in the Arab and Israeli food culture of the region, where hummus is often eaten as a main meal rather than just a dip.