A couple weeks ago I bought a bag of garbanzo beans at Town Talk. That bag has been mocking me ever since, reminding me that I bought the bag thinking I'd make hummus out of the garbanzos.How hard can that be?
It is very easy to find recipes for the world's most popular condiment. All the recipes have you blending the ingredients in a food processor, also known as a blender.
I have that kitchen item covered in the form of a Vita-Mix, bought years go at the Home Show in Seattle's Kingdome. Which seems to indicate I have a very old Vita-Mix.
Early this morning I started boiling the garbanzos. Hours later the beans seemed to have reached some level of doneness.
So, I drained them and dumped them into the Vita-Mix. Then I added some chopped up garlic, olive oil, tahini paste, lemon juice and liquid from the boiled beans.
Put the lid on the Vita-Mix and hit the 'go' button. This did not go too well. I was not getting the mixing action I was hoping for. So, I got out the wooden stick thing that came with the Vita-Mix, that you stick into the stuff you are trying to mix to help it get mixing.
The stick didn't work too well. Soon I could tell I was over working the Vita-Mix motor.
I added some more liquid, kept trying to shove the beans to the mixing blades. Eventually I was a HOT sweaty mess from all this exercise.
I decided the hummus was blended well enough. Then I found that I'd pretty much mixed up a batch of cement. It took about 20 minutes to get the cement plug out of the Vita-Mix.
I tasted what I'd made. It did not taste bad. Blindfolded I don't know if I would have guessed hummus. It does not look too appetizing, which you can clearly see in the picture at the top.
I grew addicted to a constant supply of really good hummus when Town Talk had a constant supply. And then it was gone.
I'll eat the Tex-Mess Hummus I made this morning. But, I won't be making anymore. Probably.
1 comment:
I love to make hummus in my Vita-Mix. It sounds like your model is a bit older, but the one I got last year for Christmas has a plunger that fits in through the lid but is not long enough to hit the blades. What is cool is that when you place it into the hummus while its mixing it forces the hummus on top down into the blades but also creates some type of vacuum that helps that process along. I'm probably saying all of that wrong but my point is that you might want to get a more modern lid (if that is even possible) and the plunger to help with that.
All of that said, my other advice - something a bit more actionable today - is to get canned garbanzo beans / chick peas and don't mess with cooking your own. The canned variety - organic with only salt added - have a more consistent quality. You pretty much know what you're getting in each can. Use a can or two, reserve some of the water and use it like you did.
Or, you can use Chick Pea flour. I just tried that the other day - and I suspect this is what restaurants use. In fact, you don't even need a Vita-Mix if you use the flour - but you still can, since you have one and they are just so freakin' cool.
But no matter what, hummus gets thick and you need to keep thinning it a little at a time. I alternate between bean juice and lime juice. Oh, I use Lime juice instead of lemon because I love Limes! Do that until it stops seizing in the bottom of the Vita-Mix. Also, be sure to back off the speed when you add more liquid - stir it with your stick or plunger, too. Then crank the speed back up.
So you're on the right track and I encourage you not to give up. By the way, I always take half of the hummus that I make and do something to it. A chipotle pepper or roasted pablano makes for an amazing hummus.
For a great treat, take the hummus -peppered or regular - and black beans, put some hummus on a big tortilla and the beans on another one, lay them together bean-sides touching, on a griddle or in a pan and you've got a hummadilla ala Magnolia Cafe in Austin - only maybe even better.
For the black beans, open a couple of cans and cook in a pan with pressed garlic, some olive oil and ground chili powders (I like Ancho and Chipotle) and cumin, and mash them with a potato masher.
Serve the humadilla with avocado, Mexican crema or sour cream, and you are good to go. I think I need to go eat lunch cuz this made me hungry!
Don't give up on hummus!
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