Sunday, May 31, 2009

Lentil Hummus, revised

So here’s the revised recipe (cf. comboxes to the original post for back story).

1. Bring:
  • 1/2 lb. of lentils (~ 1 1/4 cups)
  • 2 qts of water and
  • 2 Tablespoons of kosher salt
to a boil.

2. Turn down heat and simmer about 15 minutes (until the lentils are al dente).

3. Drain & rinse the lentils in cold water. Drain them well and chill for 20 minutes. (I hang them in a sieve over a small saucepan in the fridge.)

4. Make a garlic paste by mincing & mashing 1/3 - 1/2 head of garlic with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt.

5. Put the garlic paste into a food processor.

6. Add
  • 1/2 c. tahini,
  • 1/2 c. fresh lemon juice (about 3 medium lemons’ worth)
  • the cooked lentils
7. Purée until consistent.

8. If the mixture is too thick, add up to 1/2 c. olive oil.

9. Season with salt & pepper. Be free with the pepper.

10. Serve at room temperature.



Addendum:

We have taken a liking to making this recipe with other legumes as well. Our current stand-by is black bean hummus. For the same amount of other ingredients, I start with 1/2 lb. of black beans. Presoak the dried beans, rinse a couple of times, cook, rinse, drain, & carry on with the recipe.