Msabbaha (warm whole-chickpea hummus)

Method

1. 1

   Step 1

   Soak the dried chickpeas (opens in a new tab) the night before: cover them with at least three times their volume of cold water and leave for 12 hours at cool room temperature (or in the fridge in hot weather). They double in size. Drain and rinse. If you are using canned chickpeas instead, drain and rinse them and go straight to the next step.

   • 3 min
   • Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
   • Colander (opens in a new tab)
2. 2

   Step 2

   Put the drained chickpeas in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) over medium-high heat with the bicarbonate of soda (opens in a new tab) and stir for about 3 minutes, until they look a little dry and are coated. Pour in the cold water, bring to the boil and skim off the grey foam and the loose skins that float up.

   • 8 min
   • medium-high heat
   • Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
   • Slotted spoon (opens in a new tab)

   Bicarbonate makes the water alkaline, which loosens the skins and softens the starch, so the chickpeas break down to a silky purée. More than the recipe says makes them taste soapy.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Simmer until the chickpeas are completely soft, skimming off skins as they rise: one should squash to a smooth paste between thumb and finger with no chalky centre, and many will be splitting. Allow 25–45 minutes for soaked dried chickpeas (opens in a new tab) (older ones take longer) and about 10 minutes for canned. Drain while hot and keep them warm; warm chickpeas blend smoother. If you use canned chickpeas without simmering, pinch each one so the skin slips off instead (about 10 minutes for a can).

   • 40 min
   • medium-low heat
   • Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
   • Colander (opens in a new tab)
4. 4

   Step 4

   While the chickpeas simmer, make the tahini (opens in a new tab) sauce: whisk (opens in a new tab) 45 ml of the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) with one crushed garlic clove (opens in a new tab) and the salt and leave 5 minutes. Whisk in the tahini; it will seize into a stiff paste. Whisk in the ice water a spoonful at a time until the sauce turns pale and smooth and pours like double cream.

   • 5 min
   • Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
   • Whisk (opens in a new tab)

   

5. 5

   Step 5

   For the dressing, mix the remaining 15 ml lemon juice (opens in a new tab) with the second crushed garlic clove (opens in a new tab) and the green chilli (opens in a new tab).

   • 2 min
6. 6

   Step 6

   Set aside a few spoonfuls of the hot drained chickpeas for the top. Tip the rest into the tahini (opens in a new tab) sauce with 2–3 tablespoons of their hot cooking liquid and stir hard with a spoon, crushing about a quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the bowl, until the sauce thickens into a loose, chunky purée that slowly spreads on a plate.

   • 3 min
   • Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
7. 7

   Step 7

   Spoon into shallow bowls while warm, top with the reserved whole chickpeas, a spoonful of the chilli dressing, the olive oil (opens in a new tab), cumin, paprika (opens in a new tab) and parsley (opens in a new tab). Serve straight away.

   • 2 min