Hummus is a staple for Indian side dishes and is a very simple and easy dish to make. For me, making hummus was a interesting because I have never even eaten it before, so I didn’t know what it was supposed to taste like. I had to rely on my roommates telling me if what I made was correct or not, and I’m not going to lie, I had to go through some trail-and-error. In order to make yourself hummus you will need:

• 1 Can of Chickpea
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini paste (you can buy this in the oriental isle in most stores)
• 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp cumin powder (very common spice in Indian dishes)
• 2-3 tbsp of water
• Add paprika for color

Since those are the items you need to hummus, now we get to the fun part. How do we make it? Well, in all honesty, the steps change based on how you like hummus yourself, but here are the general steps:

• Drain the can of chickpeas and skin them
• Put the chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon juice, cumin powder, minced garlic, and some salt into a blender/food processor and process until barely combined
• Then add some water and process until a nice paste is made
• Then add some olive oil and process again until smooth
• Finally, put the hummus in a bowl and add a little paprika for some color
• Enjoy with some chips or bread(like flatbread, we will learn how to make this soon)

Making hummus was an easy and interesting recipe to make, and I look forward to making harder and harder dishes as I continue (got the recipe here). For the first time eating hummus, I have to say, it tasted pretty good and I hope I come back to it to make it better than before. While I was reading about hummus and why it is a staple in Indian cuisine, I learned that it wasn’t a dish most families make at home. Instead, they order it at restaurants as a staple appetizer. I was a little shocked by this because when I was researching what food to make, every article said hummus was a staple. I even asked my friend, Ahkil, who is from India if it’s true, and he said it was true. He said it is something not even his mom makes despite making mostly vegetarian foods, so I thought this food would fit in perfectly especially since it is easy. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this beginner style dish and will read my next one!