Easy Hummus Recipe (With Sesame Seeds)

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Hummus is a traditional middle eastern dip or spread made with dried chickpeas. It is the most popular recipes made with chickpeas. This hummus recipe is a really good one and you are going to love it. Its creamy, smooth and so good. Follow my step by step photos and video to make a delicious batch of homemade hummus from scratch.

hummus recipe, how to make hummus

What is Hummus

Hummus is a popular middle eastern dip or spread made with chickpeas. A basic hummus recipe is made with cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. All the ingredients that go in the making of hummus are healthy. Making hummus from scratch is easy and you can just whip it up easily in a food processor or blender.

From the time I first had hummus (with falafel and pita bread ) as a ten year old and till today, its one of my most favorite recipes made with chickpeas along with chana masala. I have been making hummus for many years now. Sometimes I use leftover cooked chickpeas after cooking chickpeas for chana masala and make a small batch of hummus, which I serve as a dip with vegetables.

While preparing hummus tahini is required. Tahini is a famous middle eastern spread made from sesame seeds. Now you may or may not have tahini in your kitchen.

In this hummus tahini is not at all required. Instead of tahini, sesame seeds are added and powdered. In the Indian household, generally, one may not find tahini, but one will find sesame seeds, especially in the winter season.

Also do note that hummus can be made without tahini or sesame seeds. So you can skip sesame seeds in this recipe. But when you do so, do reduce the proportion of olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.

hummus served in black bowl

Homemade hummus can be refrigerated and stays good for 4 to 5 days.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Hummus

1. Rinse ½ heaped cup dried chickpeas (120 grams) in water first and then soak in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours. After soaking the chickpeas will double in size and volume.

dried chickpeas soaked in water in a bowl

2. Next day, rinse the chickpeas in water first a couple of times. Drain all the water and add the chickpeas to a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker.

chickpeas in a pressure cooker

3. Add ½ teaspoon salt.

salt added to chickpeas

4. Add 1 pinch of baking soda. Adding baking soda softens the chickpeas really well and gives them a melt in the mouth texture.

baking soda added

5. Add 1.5 cups of water.

water added to chickpeas

6. Pressure cook on a medium heat for 11 to 12 minutes.

pressure cooking chickpeas

7. When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only remove the lid and check the chickpeas.

pressure cooked chickpeas

8. Mash them with a spoon or with your fingers. You should be able to mash them completely. They should have no rawness in them. You can even taste them and there should be no bite in them. They should melt in the mouth.

If they are not cooked properly, then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time. Drain all the water. Cover and keep aside.

mashing cooked chickpeas with a spoon

Roasting sesame seeds

9. Heat a small pan. Keep heat to a low. Add 3 tablespoons of white sesame seeds.

white sesame seeds in a pan

10. On a low heat stirring often roast sesame seeds.

roasting white sesame seeds in the pan

11. Roast till they become crisp and start crackling. No need to brown them. Let them cool down.

roasted white sesame seeds in a pan

Making Hummus

12. In a food processor, mixer-grinder-blender or food chopper take the roasted sesame seeds. For a food chopper use a really good and sturdy food chopper.

roasted white sesame seeds in a jar

13. Powder it to a fine or semi-fine texture.

white sesame seeds powdered

14. Add 1 teaspoon chopped garlic.

chopped garlic added to powdered white sesame seeds

15. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. 1 tablespoon lemon juice works fine for us. To increase the tang more, you can add overall 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. So add as per your taste.

lemon juice added

16. Add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or about ¼ cup.

extra virgin oil added

17. Sprinkle salt as per taste. Do note that the chickpeas will also have some salty taste in them as salt was used when cooking chickpeas. So add less salt first. Later you can add more salt if required.

salt added

18. Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder.

cumin powder added

19. Grind or blend to a fine or semi-fine consistency.

grinding the mixture to a paste

20. Next add the cooked chickpeas. You can reserve a few chickpeas for garnishing.

cooked chickpeas added to jar with  paste

21. Grind or blend till smooth and light. If you are unable to grind, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Hummus is ready now and all you need is to scrape the jar and place hummus in a serving bowl or bowls.

blend the chickpeas to a paste

22. While serving make a round pattern with a spoon on the hummus. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle paprika or red chilli powder or black pepper powder or any of your favorite spice powder. You can also sprinkle zaatar. Garnish with a few chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves and the reserved chickpeas.

Serve hummus with pita bread or with steamed or roasted veggies. The remaining hummus can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

hummus served on a black bowl garnished with cooked chickpeas

Serving hummus

Hummus is great as a spread on sandwiches or burgers or wraps (rolls). It is also served in a lebanese meze. You could also have it as a dip with fried, roasted or steamed veggies.

Best is to have hummus with pita bread. Even it tastes good with garlic naan or butter naan. We even have hummus with chapatis and parathas. Sometimes I make wraps with falafel and add hummus as a topping in the wrap.

Variations you can make in hummus recipe

Some herbs or greens or roasted vegetables can be added while blending. So depending on the flavors you want you can add the herbs or greens. so you can make various variations in a basic hummus recipe.

  • Example herbs like coriander leaves (cilantro) will give you a nice green colored, lemony and aromatic hummus.
  • Adding some blanched spinach, will give you a super healthy and nutritious spinach hummus.
  • Roasted beets or carrots or red bell peppers can also be pureed when making hummus.
  • I also make a variation of hummus with avocado which tastes great.

Tips to make best hummus recipe

  1. Use dried chickpeas – The best hummus comes from using dried chickpeas and not canned chickpeas. So yes do take some time to soak chickpeas and then cook them. A pressure cooker is great resource for cooking chickpeas thereby saving time. i always cook soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker as its quick and does not take a long time. Soaking dried chickpeas in water takes 8 to 9 hours. So you can easily soak chickpeas overnight.
  2. Cooking chickpeas really well – to get a nice creamy smooth hummus, the chickpeas have to be really cooked well and become mushy. They should be easily mashed when you press them between your fingers. Any raw bits in the chickpeas, can ruin the hummus.
  3. Peeling chickpeas or not – Some hummus recipes call for peeling chickpeas. Now peeling chickpeas takes a lot of time. I don’t peel chickpeas when making hummus. Even without peeling them you can get a smooth hummus. But if you want a really super smooth hummus, then take some time out and peel the chickpeas.
  4. Tahini vs sesame seeds – both tahini and sesame seeds work very well while making hummus. I have used both tahini as well as sesame seeds at different times – and both of them give a good taste. So in this recipe you can add either tahini or sesame seeds.
  5. Olive oil – one of the ingredient that I always recommend while making hummus is olive oil. So do use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. It does make a remarkable difference in hummus in terms of flavor and taste.

Few more similar recipes you may like are:

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hummus recipe

Hummus Recipe

Hummus is a creamy dip or spread made from white chickpeas.
4.91 from 42 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine Lebanese, World
Course Appetizers, Side Dish, Starters
Diet Vegan
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 1 medium bowl
Units

Ingredients

for pressure cooking chickpeas

  • ½ cup heaped dried white chickpeas, 120 grams soaked in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight
  • 1.5 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch baking soda

Other ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds or 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic or 4 to 5 small to medium garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • salt as required

For garnishing

  • extra virgin olive oil, as required
  • red chili powder or paprika or cayenne pepper – as required
  • black pepper powder, as required – optional
  • a few sprigs of parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
  • zatar, as required – optional

Instructions
 

Cooking dried chickpeas

  • Rinse ½ heaped cup dried chickpeas (120 grams) in water first and then soak in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
  • Next day, rinse the chickpeas in water first a couple of times. Drain all the water and add the chickpeas in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
  • Add ½ teaspoon salt, 1 pinch of baking soda and 1.5 cups water.
  • Pressure cook on medium heat for 11 to 12 minutes.
  • When the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, remove the lid and check the chickpeas.
  • Mash them with a spoon or with your fingers. You should be able to mash them completely. They should have no rawness in them. You can even taste them and there should be no bite in them. They should melt in the mouth. 
  • If the chickpeas are not cooked properly, then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time. Drain all the water. Cover and keep aside.

Roasting sesame seeds

  • Heat a small pan. Keep heat to a low. Add 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds.
  • On a low heat stirring often roast sesame seeds.
  • Roast till they become crisp and start crackling. No need to brown them. Let them cool down.

Making hummus

  • In a food processor, mixer-grinder-blender or food chopper take the roasted sesame seeds. 
  • Powder it to fine or semi-fine texture.
  • Add 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and salt as per taste. 
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice works fine for us. To increase the tang more, you can add overall 2 tablespoons lemon juice. So add as per your taste.
  • Add salt as per taste. Do note that the chickpeas will also have some salty taste in them as salt was used when cooking chickpeas. So add less salt first. Later you can add more salt if required.
  • Grind or blend to a fine or semi-fine consistency.
  • Next add the cooked chickpeas.
  • Grind or blend till smooth and light. If you are unable to grind, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. 

Serving hummus

  • Hummus is ready now and all you need is to scrape the jar and place it in a serving bowl or bowls. Make a round pattern with a spoon on the hummus.
  • Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle paprika or red chilli powder or black pepper powder or any of your favorite spice powder. You can also sprinkle zatar. Garnish with a few chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.
  • Serve it with warm pita bread or with steamed or roasted veggies. The extra hummus can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

Suggestions:
  • In place of olive oil, you can use neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil.
  • Instead of dried chickpeas, you can use 2 cups cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas in the recipe.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Hummus Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 77 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Sodium 106mg5%
Potassium 73mg2%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 15IU0%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 26mg3%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Hummus Recipe post from the blog archives first published in January 2012 has been republished and updated on 5 September 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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95 Comments

  1. This recipe was delicious! The toasted sesame is a game changer. I added sambal olek to mine just as an experiment and it turned out so good I couldn’t stop eating it. Thank you Dassana!!

    1. Thanks a lot. Glad to know. I am sure the addition of sambal oelek must have been delicious. Most welcome.