I love hummus. Now I’ve made my very own chickpea dip version, I don’t think I’ll be buying it from the supermarket again! It’s better than a bought one, I reckon.
Traditional hummus has its place, but this isn’t really traditional hummus. There’s no tahini for starters. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel… I just don’t like tahini. I’ve made a creamy chickpea dip using Greek yoghurt, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, among some other goodies!
But the clever bit isn’t really the dip itself. It’s having one wet base, one dry base and a whole collection of flavour blends ready to go. Because once you’ve got those sorted, today’s smoky lime chickpea dip can become tomorrow’s beetroot, curry, or garden herb version without starting from scratch.
And, even better, it’s another very good excuse to actually USE all those homemade dehydrated powders sitting proudly in the pantry.
First, make the Chickpea Dip Base ‘Dry Mix’. This is my shortcut jar. Instead of measuring garlic, onion, cumin, salt and everything else every single time I make a batch of chickpea dip, I make the dry base in bulk.
Chickpea Dip Base ‘Dry Mix’
Makes: approximately 1 cup (but you’ll only need 2 teaspoons per batch of chickpea dip)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup onion powder
- ¼ cup garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 Tbsp white pepper
- 1-2 tsp citric acid
Method
- Mix everything together well and store in an airtight jar.
That’s it. Now, whenever chickpea dip is on the menu, you simply scoop out what you need.
The citric acid adds a little extra tang and also means the dry mix already has that sharpness working away in the background. I love that extra bite… it may seem too over-powering for some, so I’d start with 1 tsp if you are unsure. We’re still adding fresh lemon juice to the wet mix, don’t worry!
The Basic Chickpea Dip ‘Wet Mix’
Makes: approximately 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked until very soft, or 2 cups rehydrated and cooked chickpeas
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened Greek yoghurt
- 3 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp chickpea cooking liquid (aquafaba) or water
- 2 tsp Chickpea Dip Base ‘Dry Mix’
Method
- Throw everything into a blender or food processor and blend until lovely and smooth.
- If it’s too thick, add another splash of aquafaba or water until you get the consistency you want. Taste it. If you think it needs more salt, add it. Your chickpeas, your rules.
And technically, because we’re not using tahini, we’re wandering away from traditional hummus territory and into chickpea dip territory. I’m quite happy there. Now comes the fun part.
Pick a Flavour
You can absolutely eat the basic version as it is. Or divide it into smaller portions and turn one batch into several different flavours.
These blends are designed to be added to one cup of the prepared chickpea dip if you want your tastebuds to explode with delight. I would suggest adding 1 teaspoon of your ‘forward flavour’ (the one you want to shine brightly), then 1/4 teaspoon of the partnering ingredients. If you are a little sheepish, I would suggest you half those quantities again… as you can always add more as you find your favourite blend.
As you are adding this flavouring ‘ready to eat’ you can also supplement powders for fresh ingredients (eg: chilli, herbs, spring onion, zest).
For example…
Smoky Lime
- 1 tsp lime powder
- 1/4 tsp each of: smoked paprika, toasted sesame seeds, mustard powder, black pepper
- pinch each of: chilli flakes, ground ginger
Roasted Tomato Italian
- 1 tsp tomato powder
- 1/4 tsp each of: mixed herbs, smoked paprika
- pinch of black pepper
Garden Herb
- 1 tsp parsley powder (or leafy green powder)
- 1/4 tsp each of chive powder, spring onion powder, lemon powder
Beetroot
- 1 tsp beetroot powder
- 1/4 tsp each of mustard powder, black pepper, smoked paprika
Curry
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp each of ground coriander, turmeric, cumin
And Then There’s Caramelised Onion…
Not everything needs to come out of a jar of powder.
I sliced 1 brown onion and slowly sautéd it in a little butter until beautifully soft, golden and caramelised, then added a generous dash of smoked paprika. This version is less about instant pantry convenience and more about oh my goodness, give me another cracker! Make your own favourite blends. Start small and see what happens.
Some will be glorious. Some may never be spoken of again. That’s half the fun.
One wet mix. One jar of dry mix. A pantry full of possibilities. And a very good reason to keep making those powders!
