Learn how to make hummus at home with my super simple tips and tricks. This is a tried and tested recipe that’ll give you incredibly smooth, creamy hummus. Make sure to watch the video below if you want to see it being done in the kitchen.

Love a Middle Eastern spread? Pair hummus with whole wheat pita bread, falafel, chickpea salad, Egyptian beetroot dip and muhammara. Hummus is also a fantastic spread if you are making a shawarma roll.

I’ve been making hummus for a few years now. It’s one of the spreads you’ll always find in my fridge and I put it on top of everything – pita bread, toast, roti, paratha, you name it!

This is a really simple hummus recipe and I arm with lots of tips and tricks to help you get the creamiest, smoothest results. Store-bought hummus is loaded with oil and additives, but this one is one a cleaner, homemade version that you absolutely need to try.

And with everything else, practice makes perfect. So let’s find out how to make hummus extra special, extra creamy, and extra smooth!

Ingredients you’ll need

Let’s break things down here.

Chickpeas: Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans and are the main ingredient here. You can use dried or canned chickpeas. I have instructions below to cook chickpeas if you plan to use them dried. If you are using canned chickpeas, give them a quick simmer – for about 5 minutes in boiling water. This will loosen them further and make your hummus extra creamy.

Garlic: I don’t think hummus tastes as good if there’s no garlic in it. You don’t need so much that it prominently tastes of garlic, but just enough that you get that nice garlicky flavour. If you have green garlic, you can use that as well.

Tahini: Tahini is made a paste made from toasted sesame seeds. I prefer to use store bought tahini paste, but it’s pretty easy to make at home as well. Use nylon til if you are making it in India, or Ethiopian sesame seeds if you can find them. Tahini paste lasts a long time in the fridge.

Seasoning: A little ground cumin for flavour, paprika for a little heat, and a generous amount of salt for seasoning.

Olive Oil: Unlike a lot of recipes you’ll see on the internet, my hummus recipe doesn’t ask you to add olive oil while blending. And that’s because blending olive oil with chickpeas can make hummus taste bitter overall. I like to add olive oil in the end and just mix it through lightly with the hummus.

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, it’s an easy 3 step process.

How to make creamy Hummus – Step by Step

Step 1: Peel cooked chickpeas by gently squeezing them so that the skin comes away easily

Step 2: Add peeled chickpeas to the blender along with garlic and salt and process till coarsely ground

Step 3: Add tahini, cumin and ice cold water and process till smooth

Step 4: Finally mix in lime juice and taste and adjust the seasoning. Add some more water if required, and keep the food processor running for a few minutes till it smooth.

That’s easy, isn’t it? It’s easier than spending lots of money to buy store bought hummus. This way you can just make it at home and you know exactly what goes into it.

I just have a few final things that you should keep in mind to make this dip extra special.

Richa’s Top Tips

• Overcook chickpeas: Overcooked chickpeas will make sure there is no grittiness in your hummus ever. Add an extra five minutes if you’re cooking them in the Instant Por or pressure cooker. For canned chickpeas, dunk them in boiling water to loosen them. The idea is to cook them until you can smash them really easily between your fingers.
• Peel Chickpeas: Peeling chickpeas will guarantee creamy, smooth hummus. But if you don’t have the time, you can skip this step. It won’t affect the taste, just the texture.
• Use good quality Tahini: Tahini can go rancid if not stored properly or past its due date. Buy good quality tahini and store any leftover tahini in the refrigerator for future use. Tahini helps balance the flavours so its important that you pick up a good brand.
• Add Ice Cold Water: This is a trick that I learnt from Yottam Ottolenghi’s book. Adding ice cold water while blending keeps the hummus from overheating while blending and produces really light and airy hummus.
• Don’t add olive oil to the blender: Blending olive oil while making hummus will add a weird taste and a layer of bitterness to your hummus. Instead use good quality extra virgin olive oil and mix it or drizzle it on top right at the end. This way, you can actually taste it.
• Run the blender for an extra minute: Don’t be afraid to run the blender for an extra minute or two till you get the right consistency.

Seriously this hummus is going to be the best you’ve ever eaten. And the satisfaction of having made it at home is something else! Serve it with pita, or freshly sliced veggies, or with some kebabs. You could even use it in Chicken Shawarma made street style at home!

Watch the Video

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