Since several people have asked for it, here you go:
2 cups canned chick-peas (or 1/2 lb dried chick peas, which is what I use)
1 t salt
2 large garlic cloves
4-6 T fresh lemon juice (to taste)
2 T olive oil
3 T tahini (to taste)
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt
Puree beans along with garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, cumin, salt to taste, and yogurt and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, garlic, or lemon juice as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This dish will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
(To make own chick-peas: soak the beans overnight in a quart of water. The next day, drain the beans and combine in a large pot with a fresh quart of wtaer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Add 1 t salt.--Or put the beans in a crockpot and cook on high fro about 3-4 hours.)
This is the recipe from Mediterraen Light by Martha Rose Shulman. And it's the one I used when first making hummus. Now I do something like this: throw a bunch of beans into water, soak, cook, etc. Then blend the garlic and beans and lemon juice together. Put into a bowl and mix in olive oil (several swirls around the bowl), cumin (until the entire mixture is covered), yogurt and tahini (oooh, several large scoops of each). Then I stir and taste. It's a little different every time, but it's still sooooo tasty.
Bon apetit!
