Hummus Masbacha (Israel)

[nverland]

Hummus Masbacha (Israel)

½ lb (225 g) dried chickpeas
1 Tbs (15 ml) baking soda
8 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled
½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (125 ml) tahini (sesame seed paste) at room
temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) plus 1 Tbs (15 ml) lemon juice
½ tsp (2 ml) ground cumin, plus additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish
Chopped parsley for garnish
Pita bread for serving

Cover the chickpeas with 2 inches (5 cm) of water in a bowl and
stir in the baking soda. Refrigerate overnight, drain, and rinse.
Cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of fresh water in a saucepan. Add
the garlic cloves and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the
heat and simmer until the chickpeas are tender, 40 to 60 minutes.
Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water, the garlic cloves,
and ½ cup (125 ml) of the chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas
and peel the garlic cloves. Combine the chickpeas, reserved
cooking water, half the olive oil, 6 of the garlic cloves, half the
tahini, ¼ cup (60 ml) of the lemon juice, and the cumin in an
electric food processor and process until smooth and cream.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving plate.
Wipe out the food processor and combine the remaining olive
oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic cloves and puree until smooth.
Using a spoon or a ladle, make a shallow indentation in the
center of the hummus. Spoon the oil-tahini mixture into the
depression. Sprinkle with the reserved chickpeas, cumin,
paprika, and chopped parsley and serve with pita bread. Serves
8 to 12.