An extra-thin hummus and two ways to turn it into a complete dish

As we know it in Spain, hummus is almost always a cream that is served as an appetizer, at most with a splash of oil or some spice on top. However, in its area of ​​origin (the Middle East) it is not uncommon for it to be served with other preparations in the center, from vegetables to meat, to make it a more complete dish.

This is precisely what we do today, in two versions: one, with sautéed tomatoes with lemon and aromatic herbs, and another, with spiced minced meat. In case at this point you do not know how to prepare hummus despite the veneer that we have given this product, we also give you a recipe for Yotam Ottolenghi so that it is ultra-thin, which starts with canned chickpeas. You have everything in the video above.

EXTRA-THIN HUMMUS OF CANNED CHICKPEAS

Ingredients

• 400g packaged cooked chickpeas (drained weight)
• ½ teaspoon cumin grain
• 120-150g tahini (depending on how intense it is)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt

Preparation

1. Strain the chickpeas from the pot and drain them well.
2. Spread them on a clean cloth, cover them with another and move them gently for one or two minutes. This will cause much of the skins to separate so they can be removed. Nothing happens if they are not all peeled.
3. Place the chickpeas in a pot and cover them with water. Add salt and cumin, and bring to a gentle boil for 15 minutes to soften.
4. Drain the chickpeas, keeping part of the cooking water.
5. Put them in a food processor or a blender glass and add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, a couple of ice cubes, salt and two tablespoons of the cooking water.
6. Blend well, taste and correct salt, lemon juice or tahini if ​​necessary. The density can also be adjusted by adding more cooking water and stirring well.

HUMMUS WITH CONFIT TOMATOES

Ingredients

• Between 300 and 400 g of hummus
• 300g cherry tomatoes
• 1 level teaspoon of cumin grain
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• fresh thyme
• Oregano
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper

Preparation

1. Put the tomatoes in a pan in which they fit without piling up.
2. Add two unpeeled cloves of garlic crushed with a knife, a chilli pepper, thyme, oregano, cumin, a little sugar, salt and black pepper. Add olive oil until it covers a little less than half of the tomatoes.
3. Put the pan over low heat and let the tomatoes cook covered for about 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. If they are soft, they are ready.
4. Spread the hummus on a plate so that there is a hole in the center.
5. Place the roasted tomatoes and finish with a few leaves of thyme and oregano and a little lemon zest. Serve with toast or pita bread.

HUMMUS WITH SPICED MINCED BEEF

Ingredients

• Between 300 and 400 g of hummus
• 300 g minced beef (or lamb)
• ½ teaspoon cumin grain
• ½ teaspoon powdered coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 prunes
• 1 clove garlic
• Olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• pumpkin seeds

Preparation

1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with olive oil and add a clove of minced garlic, the cumin and the powdered coriander seeds. Cook it for a couple of minutes.
2. Raise the heat a little, add the minced meat and sauté.
3. When it begins to brown, season with salt and pepper and add the oregano, the cayenne pepper and the chopped prunes. Stir, and when the meat turns dark, it’s ready.
4. Serve the hummus on a plate and the minced meat in the center.
5. To give it a crunchy touch, you can add some lightly toasted pumpkin seeds in a pan with oil and a little salt. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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