Don’t let the Mediterranean name let you believe it is a fancy dish. This is a healthy and tasty dip made from simple ingredients available in all households. Easy to make and can be stocked up to a week. Make in batches, refrigerate, and serve along with crackers to guests, pack off as mid morning snack to your children, take it to your office and have it along with your tea to satiate your 4 pm craving. A better thing to serve your guests instead of fried vada or samosa. It is yummy and healthy.

Ingredients:
White chickpeas (kabuli chana) – 100 gms
Walnuts – 8-10
Garlic – 8-10 cloves
Black peppercorns – 8-10
Lemon – 1
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation Time: 10 mins (excluding soaking/sprouting time)
Cooking Time: 15 mins (roasting and grinding)
Makes around 125 gms

Method:
Soak chickpeas in water for up to 10 hours. Drain the water. If desired, you could sprout the chickpeas. To do this, keep the wet chickpea (soaked for 10 hours and drained) in a closed container for at least 24 hours. Depending on the weather in your region, you will notice sprouts within 24 hours. Cooler regions may need more sprouting time.
Wash the chickpeas well and add enough water and pressure cook until tender (2-3 whistles). Wait for the pressure inside the cooker to release naturally (between 7-10 mins). Remove the water from the chickpea. Keep aside. You will need this while blending.
Heat a kadai and dry roast the walnuts to remove the raw smell. Keep aside. Dry roast the garlic. You can roast the garlic in the oven if you have one. When the peels start turning brown, remove and keep aside. Allow to cool and remove the peels.
In a mixer, first blend the roasted walnuts, garlic, and black pepper. Add boiled chickpeas. Add small quantities of the boiled chickpea water and blend to a smooth paste. Add salt and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt, lime juice, and pepper powder to your liking. You can add red chilly powder also. Drizzle olive oil. The oil should float on top of the hummus.
Serve along with crackers, bread sticks, pita bread, bread toast, roasted papad, khichiya, khakra, cucumber, carrot pieces, or use it as a sandwich spread. Tastes great with everything!