The Hummus Recipe We Just Can't Get Enough of

A cheese plate staple and Middle Eastern cuisine icon, who doesn't love a good hummus? Next time you are in need of an afternoon chickpea dip fix, don't head to the shops; make your own instead. Simple and tasty, the legends at Kepos Street Kitchen have the most delectable recipe that you'll want to whip up straight away.

Side note: This recipe features in Kepos Street Kitchen's popular cookbook Falafel for Breakfast: Modern Middle Eastern Recipes for Any Time of the Day From Kepos Street Kitchen. If you love Middle Eastern fare you'll want to pick up a copy! 

Makes approximately 1 kg

• 150g dried chickpeas
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 400g raw tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground cumin
• 100ml lemon juice

1. In a large saucepan or bowl soak the chickpeas in cold water (at least 4 times the quantity of the dried chickpeas) for at least 12 hours – overnight is good.  Change the water at least twice during the process.
2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse well.  Transfer to a large saucepan with a lid.  Cover with at least double the quantity of water to the chickpeas and bring to the boil.  Cover over medium heat with the lid on for 2 hours, topping up the water as necessary. 
3. After 2 hours, if the chickpeas are soft enough, add the baking powder.   (If not, continue cooking until they soften up).  Cook for a further hour or until the chickpeas start to break down but are not mushy.
4. Put the garlic in a food processor (don’t use a stick blender) with 200 ml water and blend to a very smooth consistency.  Put through a sieve and keep the liquid, discard the pureed garlic.
5. Drain the chickpeas.  Put them in the food processor and blend to a smooth paste; this will take about 7 to 10 minutes.   Add the tahini, reserved garlic water, salt and cumin and blend well, scraping down the sides occasionally and adding more water if necessary.   Transfer to a large mixing bowl.   Add the lemon juice and gently whisk in (you do not want to over-aerate the hummus and lose the dense consistency).