Hummus done two ways: Niki Louca shares her recipe

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for hummus with The Greek Herald. You can follow her on Instagram @mygreekkitchen for more!

Ingredients:

• 400 gms cooked chickpeas (can use canned)
• 1 – 2 medium lemons – juiced
• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic
• 50ml cold water
• Salt to taste

Mushroom topping:

• ½ kg of swiss brown or white mushrooms (or combination of both)
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp of EVOO
• Salt to taste

Eggplant topping:

• 1 eggplant peeled
• 1 egg
• ½ cup plain flour
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil for frying (approx. 6-7 tbsp)

Method:

Making the hummus – whether you’re using canned or freshly cooked chickpeas, the secret to getting them creamy, is to remove as much of their skins as possible. If you are using canned chickpeas, make sure you rinse them well before you use them. If preparing chickpeas yourself, soak about 1 ¼ cups of dry chickpeas in water overnight and cook next day till soft and tender.

1.  n a food processor, add the cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt and the water..  Blend for 2-3 minutes till smooth.  Taste and adjust the salt, lemon juice and water. 
2. Spoon the hummus onto an open bowl/plate, spread it with the back of a spoon and add your preferred topping.

Preparing the mushrooms: 

1. Clean and slice your mushrooms to approximately 3mm thickness.
2. In a heavy based pan, heat the olive oil and then add the mushrooms.  Sauté till nearly soft and tender.  Add the fresh thyme and season with salt to taste.  Stir thru and cook for a further minute.
3. Once cooked, spoon mushrooms over your hummus and drizzle a little more olive oil over them, sprinkle some fresh thyme (or parsley), and serve with crusty sourdough bread. 

Preparing the eggplant – please read full instructions before you start:

1. Peel and cut eggplant into 1 inch thickness, lengthwise.
2. Take each slice and cut into batons making sure the top part of eggplant is intact (see photo).  It will resemble a little like a hand with fingers.
3. In a bowl, beat the egg with a fork and season with salt – set aside.
4. In another bowl, put the flour and season with salt – set aside.
5. In a third bowl, mix breadcrumbs, parsley and parmesan cheese – set aside.
6. Take a slice of eggplant and firstly dust it with the flour, making sure the “fingers are also covered.  Then, onto the egg and finely thru the breadcrumbs, making sure the fingers are also generously covered.
7. Gently shallow fry in a frying pan with olive oil until golden brown, turning it over to cook the other side as well.  Once cooked placed over your plate of hummus and sprinkle with a little salt and some parsley – enjoy with fresh sourdough bread.

Note: 1 large eggplant will give you 2-3 slices – I prepare them all and stack them on top of each other over a generous bowl of hummus.

Niki Louca runs cooking classes in Melbourne. For more or to book classes visit My Greek Kitchen at www.mygreekkitchen.com.au or Instagram @mygreekkitchen. You can email Niki at: niki@mygreekkitchen.com.au.