Here is a recipe for Heavenly Hummus. The recipe is taken from my upcoming book, “The Dieting Doctor — A Memoir in Essays and Recipes.” Enjoy!

Hummus, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, is traditionally enjoyed either as a meal or alongside other salads. Street cooks and restaurants chefs present their hummus artfully as a circular spread on a plate encircling perfectly spiced chicken or lamb shawarma. Vegan versions feature hummus garnished with spices such as paprika, turmeric, and cumin, and drizzled with tahini sauce or olive oil.

For an authentic experience, ditch your spoons and forks, and eat it with warm, or freshly toasted pita bread. Tear a piece of pita bread and use it to scoop the hummus off the plate with what the locals call a ‘wiping’ movement. And imagine yourself dining in an outdoor restaurant, your toes deep in the warm sand, overlooking the blue sky kissing the Mediterranean Sea.

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes (active)

Cooking time: 3-5 hours

Total time: Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes (see the tips section below for time saving advice)

Ingredients:

≤ For the hummus:

≤ 1/2 pound (approximately 1 cup) dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked overnight in water

≤ 1 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

≤ 1/3 – 1/2 cup water

≤ Juice of 1 medium lemon

≤ 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

≤ 1 teaspoon salt

≤ For garnishing:

≤ Ground cumin

≤ Turmeric

≤ Paprika or ground cayenne pepper

≤ Chopped fresh parsley leaves

≤ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Soak the chickpeas:

≤ Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of water. Soak overnight. The chickpeas will absorb water and become plump.

2. Cook the chickpeas:

≤ Drain and thoroughly rinse the soaked chickpeas.

≤ In a large pot, combine the chickpeas with 4 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

≤ As the water boils, a white foam will form on the surface. Skim off the foam with a spoon.

≤ Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the chickpeas. After 1, and then 2 hours of cooking, drain, rinse, and add fresh water, bringing to a boil each time before reducing to a simmer.

≤ Continue cooking until the chickpeas are very tender, which may take a total of 3 to 5 hours. To test for doneness, squeeze a chickpea between your fingers; it should mash easily.

3. Prepare the hummus:

≤ Drain the cooked chickpeas and transfer them to a blender or food processor.

≤ Add up to 1/3 cup of water to facilitate blending.

≤ Add the tahini, lemon juice, minced or powdered garlic, and salt. Continue blending until the mixture is smooth and creamy. For perfect consistency, and to allow efficient blending, add more water, only if needed, and very gradually. You can always add more water but it’s hard to save overly diluted hummus. The end consistency should be smooth and creamy.

≤ Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or garlic as desired.

4. Serve:

≤ Spoon 3-5 tablespoons of hummus onto a plate. Using the back of a spoon, create a shallow well in the center.

≤ Lightly sprinkle ground cumin, turmeric, and paprika (or cayenne pepper) over the hummus.

≤ Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

≤ Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

5. Enjoy:

≤ Serve the hummus with warm or lightly toasted pita bread. For an authentic experience, use pieces of pita to scoop the hummus, imagining you’re dining by the Mediterranean Sea.

Tips:

1. Cooking with baking soda:

≤ Some recipes suggest adding baking soda during cooking to speed up the process. However, this can affect the flavor.

2. Peeling Chickpeas:

≤ Removing the skins can yield a smoother hummus but may reduce nutritional value. With a good blender, leaving the skins on should still produce a creamy texture.

3. Batch cooking:

≤ To save time, cook a large batch of chickpeas and freeze portions for future use. For example, cook 3 pounds of chickpeas, divide into six portions, and freeze in airtight containers or freezer-safe bags for up to 6 months.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Shahar Madjar is a urologist at Aspirus and the author of “Is Life Too Long? Essays about Life, Death and Other Trivial Matters.” Contact him at smadjar@yahoo.com.