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Turkish Hummus
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On a recent trip to Istanbul, we tasted Turkish hummus, which is served as a meze as well as for breakfast, and as a sandwich, tucked into pocket bread. It was softer in texture, nuttier with tahini, spiked with cumin and more lemony than the Middle Eastern-style hummus that we know and love. It also was generously garnished—with tomatoes, pickles, red pepper, raw onion, walnuts, parsley, spices and spice-infused oil. For best flavor, it’s essential to start with dried chickpeas, but they need at least 12 hours of soaking, so plan accordingly. Baking soda added to the cooking water softens the legume so it purees smoothly, so don’t omit this key ingredient. The Aleppo pepper that infuses the oil for drizzling onto the hummus brings subtle heat and vibrant color. If not available, substitute with 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Serve warm or at room temperature, finished with garnishes of your choice and with warm flatbread.
Makes
4 cups
Don’t forget to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the chickpeas. You will need it to thin the hummus during processing. Also, be sure to process the chickpeas immediately after draining—don’t allow them to cool. When warm they will blend more readily to a creamy, silky-smooth consistency.
1 hour 10 minutes
plus soaking
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8
ounces dried chickpeas (1 cup)
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Kosher salt
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½
teaspoon baking soda
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4
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1½
teaspoons Aleppo pepper (see headnote)
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2
medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
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½
cup tahini
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½
cup lemon juice
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¾
teaspoon ground cumin
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Sliced sour pickles, chopped or sliced fresh tomatoes, finely chopped or thinly sliced red onion and/or chopped toasted walnuts, to serve
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Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve
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01In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, 1 tablespoon salt and 8 cups water, stirring to dissolve the salt. Let soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
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02Drain the chickpeas, then transfer to a large pot. Add 10 cups water and the baking soda. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring, until very tender and the skins are falling off, 50 to 60 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain in a colander.
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03Meanwhile, in an 8-inch skillet over medium, heat 2 tablespoons oil and the Aleppo pepper. Cook, swirling to combine, until a few bubbles appear and the oil is bright red, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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04Transfer the warm chickpeas to a food processor and add the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Process until mostly smooth, about 1 minute; the mixture will be thick. Add the tahini, lemon juice, cumin and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; continue processing, scraping the bowl as needed, until well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. With the processor running, stream in the reserved chickpea cooking liquid and process, scraping the bowl as needed, until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt.
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05Transfer the hummus to a wide, shallow serving bowl and smooth the surface. Drizzle with the Aleppo pepper oil, top with the desired garnishes and sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.