Kala Chana (Dark Brown Chickpea) Hummus

28 Nov Kala Chana (Dark Brown Chickpea) Hummus

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Sometimes the best recipes come from rummaging through your pantry. I had an excess of kala chana, which are dark brown chickpeas. They are nuttier in flavor than regular chickpeas, and are supposed to have higher fiber content. They are also good if you’re following a lower glycemic index diet. I made this recipe because I didn’t know what else to do with this boatload of kala chana seeds.

Soak the dry kala chana overnight

I’ve found that hummus tastes so much better when it comes from dry chickpeas or in this case dry kala chana seeds. Honestly, dry beans, seeds, legumes, etc. always taste better than their canned counterparts. They just require more timing and patience, but we’re living in a pandemic so that’s all we have right now!

Gather the ingredients that you have

For this particular hummus, I decided to use what I already had in my kitchen. In this case, I had the soaked kala chana, olive oil, sesame seeds, garlic, serrano chili pepper, and since I didn’t have tahini, I decided to sub in peanut butter, because why not. I figured the sesame seeds would provide a little of that tahini flavor, and the peanut butter provides the creaminess you get from tahini.

Blend it all together

So making hummus isn’t much of a complicated recipe, because all you have to do is blend all that sh$t up together, but it’s important to get the right ratio of oil and water to get the consistency and flavor you’re looking for. There isn’t really a science to this thing, and it’s fine if it tastes slightly different each time. Make sure there’s the right amount of salt by giving it a taste here and there, and finish it off with a squeeze of lemon.

Eat it

The best thing about hummus is that it can be used in so many different ways, whether it’s a condiment in your falafel pita sandwich or a dip for your vegetables, pita chips or just eat it with a spoon. It’s delicious. And so easy to make. This particular hummus also has some Indian qualities to it being made from kala chana, so maybe try it by dipping some chapati into it.

Recipe

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
– 1 cup dry kala chana seeds
– 3-5 cloves of garlic
– 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
– 1 serrano chili pepper (or thai, or whatever spicy pepper you have)
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
– 1/2 lemon
– Salt
– Water

1. Soak the dry kala chana overnight. Immerse the seeds in water so that there is an inch of water above the chana.
2. Drain the water from the chana, add to your blender with garlic cloves, peanut butter, serrano chili pepper, olive oil and sesame seeds. Blend these ingredients and check on the consistency.
3. Slowly add a little water, like 1 to 2 tablespoons (or more), to reach the desired creamy consistency of your hummus. Keep blending.
4. Add a teaspoon (or more) of kosher salt to reach your desired taste. And then finish it off by squeezing half of a lemon into the blender and give is a few more pulses.
5. Slice up some pita bread, carrots, celery, or whatever you have and enjoy! This should stay good for a week or so.