The hummus kept me a happy vegetarian when I was in Israel, Bahrain and Dubai. West Asian food, I discovered, was surprisingly very amenable to vegetarian taste buds. While my friends couldn’t get enough of the grilled and skewered meats, I was perfectly content with the falafel (comfortingly like our paruppu vadai back home) dipped in hummus. I also ate my way through stacks of khubz (cousin to the naan ) slathered with hummus, as my Bahraini friends, Nader and Reem, watched in amusement.
In Jerusalem, I met Cordon Bleu Chef Michael Katz (executive chef of the Lavan, Adom and Colony restaurants) who said that while he loves hummus served traditionally with pita bread, he sometimes gives it a contemporary twist. “For example, hummus mixed with beetroot paste tastes perfect when served with fish kebabs. One can replace the chickpeas with other ingredients. I am fond of making a hummus-style salad, where I use green peas instead of chickpeas. I then garnish it with sautéed mushrooms.” Try using black or red beans or any other lentils or legumes instead of the chickpeas, he suggested.
I got a lesson on the origins of hummus from a friend who has spent many years in West Asia. “Did you know that the full name is actually hummous bi-tahina ? (that is why she likes it spelt hummous and NOT the more popular hummus). It translates to chickpea with sesame paste. This is a dip that is actually part of the Arab ‘muqabbilat’ or appetiser platter that starts a meal in an Arab home/restaurant. The dip has evolved to include ingredients and garnishings, with spices like cumin powder (Egypt), paprika (Lebanon) and finely chopped salad tomatoes (Turkey).
Bread and life are linked closely in the Arab ethos, she says. “Scooped up with little pockets of khubz , hummous bi tahina and the muqabbilat platter are the ultimate ode to slow eating, the savouring of food and companionship in a world where time doesn’t count.”
