Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

 Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup chickpeas, wash and soak in 3 cups water and a tsp of baking soda overnight
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
Olive oil - 5 tbsps
Red bell peppers - 2
Lemon juice - 4 tbsps
Garlic -2, roast in a tsp of olive oil and lighty crush
Cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp (red chili powder or paprika can be used in its place)
Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

Method

Place a skewer into each of the red bell peppers and roast over low flame till the skin is charred or blackened. Allow the red pepper to roast all over. Turn off heat and place them in a zip lock bag for 15 mts. Once they cool down, the skin will easily peel off. Place the peeled roasted peppers in a bowl and keep aside.
Pressure cook chick peas along with the water up to 4 whistles or until soft. Turn off heat and bring to room temperature. Drain the chick peas and keep aside. Reserve the water also.
Dry roast sesame seeds on low flame for 6 mts and turn off flame.
Heat a small pan, add 2 tsps olive oil and roast garlic for a mt till light brown. Turn off heat and cool.
In a mixer grinder, add garlic, sesame sesame seeds and olive oil and grind to a fine paste. Add lemon juice, cumin powder, cayenne pepper or chili powder and salt and grind again till well blended.
Next add the red bell peppers and grind till smooth. Finally add the drained chickpeas and grind to a smooth paste. Add approx 3-4 tbsps of the drained chickpea water and grind again. It should be a smooth and creamy paste. Remove to a serving bowl. Drizzle some olive oil on top with a sprinkle of red chili flakes and serve with pita bread, crackers or sliced vegetables like carrot or cucumber.

Tips

Pressure cook the white chickpeas/garbanzo beans since it will yield soft beans and are easy to blend.
Roast garlic in olive oil before blending with rest of ingredients. Gives better flavor to hummus.
Store in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or for several days in the freezer.
You can use it as a spread over sandwiches or wraps.
 
 
==================================