How do I make hummus?

Question

All recipes call for Tahini, can't find locally. Any substitutions?

Answer 1

Definitely. Peanut butter. Much cheaper and much easier to find. You probably already have a jar.

I've used peanut butter instead of tahini and it worked out perfectly. Nobody could tell the difference.

Answer 2

There aren't many things that are suitable substitutes for tahini, I'm afraid. Peanut butter is a common suggestion, but it is very different; if you are going to use it, I would reccommend a freshly ground peanut butter if you can find a place that makes it, rather than a commercial smooth brand. Chunky peanut butter is right out for this.

Though I haven't tried it myself, I think that almond paste is probably closer to the mark, but it would probably be just as hard to find as tahini, if not moreso. If a store carries it, it would probably be in the baking section, as it is used in making some types of marzipan. It should substitute one for one, though you may need to add some olive or sesame oil to it to make it a bit more fluid.

You might try looking for tahini again; if there are any import or international groceries in your area (or an ethnic Greek, Indian or Middle Eastern one), they would be more likely to carry it than a supermarket. Some health food stores would have it as well, though it would be a bit odd - tahini is *very* high in oil. It should also be possible to order it online.

Finally, if you can get some toasted sesame seeds and and some sesame or olive oil, and have a suitable grinder or a mortar and pestle, you can tahini yourself. Just grind about half a cup of sesame seeds until it forms a paste, then add about a tablespoon of the oil, mixing it until it is smooth. A more detail recipe (for 'mock tahini'. though it is in fact pretty much how real tahini is made) can be found in some of the links below.

As for hummus, the easiest recipe is just two cups of cooked or canned chick peas, four tablespoons of tahini or your choice of tahini substitute, juice from half a lemon, a tablespoon of olive oil, and pepper and freshly minced garlic to taste. Mash or process the chick peas into a coarse mixture, then fold in the tahini or substitute and the olive oil, followed by the lemon jiuce and finally the garlic. Continue mixing until smooth. Dust with paprika when finished. Different recipes may chneg the proportions somewhat, and add other things such as onion or cilantro, but this is pretty much the basic recipe. I've seen a few recipes which said you could use sesame oil alone instead of tahini, but I would expect that to be somewhat oily; you would probably want to reduce the amount of olive oil if you try that.

Answer 3

Peanut butter is a last resort substitute for tahini. As others said earlier, it's just not the same....nor does it have the same consistency.

Tahini is in most major grocery stores, usually in the ethnic foods aisle next to Kalamata Olives and Grape Leaves. If your store doesn't have it, ask if they'd order Kronos Tahini for you. It's about $5/jar, but will last a fairly long time.

Answer 4

Sorry the only way I know how to make it takes Tahini paste too. Have you looked on line to find any of it? If you do.....You put garbanzo beans (chick peas) and fresh garlic cloves ( a lot depending on your taste) grind till it is smooth, Put in the tahini and some fresh lemon and salt and pepper. Cut pita chips into triangles and deep fry them and dip them in the hummus

Answer 5

I am muslim and i make hummus allll the time. Most recipies call for 5-6 cloves of garlic but that will just make your breath smell really bad. You should only use 1/2 clove of garlic.

REcipe

1. Buy a can of hummus at a local arabic cusine market
2. in a medium sized bowl smash 1/2 clove of garlic
3. then add a couple dashes of salt and lemon
4. slightly mix
5. add one can of hummus on top of the ingrediants
6. drizzle with olive oil
7. in the middle of your hummus, add some diced tomatoes or
olives (optional)
8. around the edges of your masterpeice sprinkel a very small amount of paprika for looks (optional)
9. Serve with pita bread or vegitable portions crackers also make an excellent serving food

Answer 6

Hummus Recipe
A great version of hummus.
2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (reserve juice)
5 cloves garlic
6 ounces fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
extra virgin olive oil
3 cups

1. Food processor: process garlic, add remaining ingredients and pulse to desired consistency (thin with juice from can if needed).
2. Put hummus in a bowl, sprinkle with a drizzle of olive oil and smoked paprika.

Answer 7

Put a drained can of garbanza beans, some lemon juice (half a lemon), salt and pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup of pine nuts in a blender.

You can order your tahini from Penzeys.

Answer 8

yes, use sesame seeds instead. makes for a less smooth hummus, but still tasty. tahini is mashed sesame seeds. put it all in blender with the garbanzobeans and all the other stuff, and mix it good for a few minutes.

Answer 9

1 can of garbonzo beans
1/2 lemon squeezed
1/2 cup water
a dash of salt
4 table spoons of tahina...
.blend well and serve with olive oil on top and eat with pita bread.

Tahina is a sesame seed paste that is a dominating flavor. You can find it at a local middle eastern grocer...yellow pages sweetie

Answer 10

No subs for that but you can find it usually at a natural/health store.