I am crazy about a fresh homemade hummus! This delicious recipe rarely sits in the bowl for longer than five minutes… What’s the secret? Making it from scratch!
When eating legumes it is really important to prepare them properly to help make them easily digestible. Legumes naturally have enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid which can lead to malabsorption and mineral deficiencies. Soaking and sprouting legumes greatly reduces these natural anti-nutrients and aids digestion and nutrient assimilation. This delicious recipe calls for some soaked or sprouted chickpeas, a traditional preparation that is really easy to do and much cheaper and more nutritious than using the canned variety. I recommend soaking and sprouting a large batch then portion and freeze them for quick and easy use later. Cook once, use thrice. In salads, falafel, soups, or… hummus!
Once chickpeas are ready:
Prep time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of soaked and sprouted and cooked chickpeas
Half a cup extra virgin olive oil
4 crushed garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fermented sauerkraut (if available.. for added probiotic benefits and tang)
3 tablespoons of organic tahini
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if your game)
1 teaspoon smokey paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup water
celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
FOR CHICKPEAS
Soak dried chickpeas for 8-24 hours in filtered water and some celtic sea salt. (3/4 cup of dried chickpeas will become 2 cups of cooked chickpeas). Strain and rinse. To sprout leave in jar with a cover for a few days on the counter to sprout. Rinse and drain a few times a day with fresh water. In a day or two you will see little tails sprouting and then cook in filtered water or if you don’t want to sprout you can cook them straight after soaking. Either cook in a pressure cooker or boil on the stove top skimming any foam that surfaces.
“Soaking and sprouting removes the phytic acid making them much easier to digest. Phytic acid is present in the bran of all grains and inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron copper and zinc. Sprouting also neutralises enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds.” Sprouting also increases the vitamin C and vitamin B content. From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
HUMMUS TIME
Add chickpeas to the blender or food processor with all the other ingredients except the water.
Blend on high until smooth, stopping every now and then to make sure the ingredients are down with the blade. Use a spatula when the blender is off if necessary.
If the hummus is too thick, add the water slowly.
Taste the hummus.. add more of the spices and salt and pepper to suit your tastebuds. Serve with paprika and olive oil.
Options.. add a handful of fresh coriander, or some roasted capsicum for different flavours. Get creative and experiment!
