Chipotle Hummus

Ingredients:
20 oz canned chickpeas
3 cloves garlic
4-5 chipotle chiles in adobo (with at least 1 teaspoon of a adobo)
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste


Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the chickpeas (in their liquid) until warm. Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Place chickpeas, tahini, chiles, garlic, garlic powder, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt into a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved liquid to achieve a smooth texture. Sample and add more garlic, chiles, lemon or salt according to taste. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

My thoughts:

I had never made hummus with chipotle peppers before but I've been thinking about it for weeks and decided to just go for it. It is really spicy and there is a undercurrent of smoke that is a tempting variation on the standard hummus. I liked in on pita or with tortilla chips the most but it is also great as a dip with cut up vegetables. It is also easy to up or reduce the heat, just adjust the amount of peppers you use.

Chickpeas in Tamarind Sauce (Khatte Channe)

Ingredients:
12 oz canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
16 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg-sized ball tamarind pulp
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground, roasted cumin seeds
� cup vegetable oil
� teaspoon turmeric
� teaspoon red pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and saut� until just golden, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the tamarind pulp in 1 cup of hot water. When it is cool enough to touch, squeeze out the tamarind over the cup and discard. Strain the remaining liquid into a cup and discard the seeds and pulp left behind. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add turmeric and red pepper. Stir. Add tomato and reduce heat. Simmer about 5 minutes. Add tamarind juice and the reserved liquid from the chickpeas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chickpeas, garam masala, and cumin. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

My thoughts:

It's been a while since we've had Indian food so who am I to say no when my husband offers to cook me up a feast? This is traditionally served with bhatoora or poori (two types of bread) but we had it as a side dish.

Falafel

Falafel
Ingredients:

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 medium onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup self rising flour
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

oil for frying


Directions:
Place all ingredients EXCEPT the oil and flour into the food processor or blender. Pulse on high until a course paste forms. Scoop out into a large bowl, mix in the flour. Mixture should be dry yet but not crumbly. Refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large saucepan, heat about 1/4 inch of oil. Form into a ball (an ice cream scoops works well for this) and fry in the oil, turning to create a golden brown color on all sides, about 3- 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.


Serving suggestion: serve in a warm pita with hummus, tomatoes, spinach and cucumber.

Classic Hummus

Classic Hummus

Ingredients:

16 oz canned chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste


Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the chickpeas (in their liquid) until warm. Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Place chickpeas, tahini. garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic powder into a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth, adding some of the reserved liquid to achieve a smooth texture. Sample and add more garlic, lemon or salt according to taste. Note: the flavor of the hummus will mellow when refrigerated.


Serving suggestion: serve cold on a plate sprinkled with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. Great with warmed pita and fresh vegetables or served with falafel.

Garlic-y Hummus

Ingredients:

2 large cans chickpeas (about 48 oz total)

5 cloves garlic, chopped

4 tablespoons garlic powder

6 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons reseved liquid from chickpeas

� olive oil

Juice of 3 lemons



Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat chickpeas through. Drain, reserving liquid. Using the food processor, combine the garlic and chickpeas until semi smooth. Add in olive oil and reserved liquid, combine. Add garlic powder, lemon juice and tahini. Combine to thick paste, adding more oil or liquid if needed.



Note:

This is best after being refrigerated over night. It?s also good served with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of hot paprika.