Choemoes

Name: Choemoes
Ingredients: 250 g dried chickpeas; 2 Garlic cloves; 1 units.theelepel Baking soda; 1 units.theelepel Salt; 180 g raw tahini; 1 Sprig of flat-leaf parsley; 2 Lemon (juice); Extra virgin olive oil; pinch of paprika powder

The cuisine of Tel Aviv is very pure, without, for example, foams of this or garnishes of that. This is absolutely something I am seeing more and more in the Netherlands as well, that a dish revolves around the purity of the main ingredient.

Furthermore, it is a cuisine with a lot of vegetables and a lot of fire and heat." This beautiful Choemoes recipe also comes from this kitchen. This recipe is for 6-8 people. The recipe is also featured in his masterclass Vegan Cuisine from Tel Aviv. Watch the masterclass here and read more about Jigal Krant and the cuisine of Tel Aviv.

Ingredients

250gdried chickpeas

2Garlic cloves

1units.theelepelBaking soda

1units.theelepelSalt

180graw tahini

1Sprig of flat-leaf parsley

2Lemon (juice)

Extra virgin olive oil

pinch of paprika powder

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours in plenty of water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in it. Longer is also possible, but then place the peas in the refrigerator. Drain the chickpeas and peel them for an extra creamy result (see the HANOS Masterclass TLV Vegan for a super quick lifehack).
Bring the chickpeas to a boil with clean water in a shallow pan. Make sure the peas are covered by about 3 centimeters. Skim off the protein-rich foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer. Add the garlic cloves. Put the lid on the pan and lower the heat.
When the peas are so tender that you can easily crush them between two fingers, you can remove the lid. Count on 30-40 minutes. Scoop out two tablespoons of chickpeas from the pan to use later as garnish.
Turn the heat to high. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When most of the cooking liquid has evaporated, add the salt. Turn off the heat when a thick chickpea puree has formed. Let cool.
Put the cooled puree with the raw tahini and the juice of 1¬Ω lemons in the food processor. Let the food processor run for at least 10 minutes. If necessary, add small splashes of cold water to thin the hummus, but keep it just a bit thicker than you want it to be in the end. Further season with extra lemon juice and maybe a bit more salt. Tasting well is crucial! Only when the hummus is perfectly seasoned, thin it with a bit more water. Israeli fresh hummus is much thinner than the heavy spreads from our supermarket and therefore has a higher eatability factor. Aim for a consistency just a fraction thicker than Greek yogurt.
Cover the freshly blended hummus immediately to prevent the top layer from drying out. If you are not serving the hummus right away, store it in the refrigerator and taste again before serving. Usually, extra salt and lemon juice are needed for flavor and a drop of water for consistency.
Spread the hummus (lukewarm or at room temperature, but definitely not cold!) beautifully over a plate with the back of a spoon. Form a crater in the middle. The trick is to keep the spoon still and turn the plate. If the hummus becomes nicely smooth on the outside by itself, you know the consistency is right.
Place the reserved chickpeas in the crater and fill with olive oil. If you forgot to reserve chickpeas, replace them with roasted pine nuts. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley leaves and paprika powder.