Hatch Chile Spicy Hummus. Hummus comes alive when paired with Southwestern ingredients. A kick of heat from roasted chopped Hatch Chile Peppers and a shake or two of cumin and Tabasco Sauce.
1cupDried chickpeasor two 15 ounce cans, drained, reserving ½ cup of the liquid
8Roasted Hatch Green Chile Pepperspeeled, stems and seeds removed, diced. More if you'd like more heat. Or use two 4 ounce cans of chopped chile peppers.
1large clove of garlicpeeled
1 ½teaspoonskosher salt
⅓cupTahini Paste
1lemonjuiced
6tablespoonsliquid from the cooked chickpeasadd more if the consistency seems dry
1Tablespoonolive oil
1teaspoonGround cumin
3shakesTabasco Sauce
Salt/Pepper to taste
¼teaspoonNew Mexico Red Chile Powderor ancho chile powder
1teaspoonChile oilto swirl on top once it's plated. Thai Kitchen is a good brand. It's clear, it's pretty and not too spicy.
1TablespoonPepita Seedsfor decoration
Instructions
If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight with enough water to cover by 1 inch.
The next morning cook them (undrained) stove top for 1 hour over medium heat, or in a slow cooker for 6 - 7 hours. The chickpeas should be crunchy tender. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.
If using canned chickpeas drain, reserving ½ cup of the liquid from the can.
Roast chile peppers under broiler, turning often. Watch them closely, you don't want them to burn, you just want the skin to be charred. Use Hatch Chile Peppers, or Poblano's. Place the hot peppers into a plastic bag and let them steam for about 10 minutes.
Remove most of the charred skin from the peppers. Cut the top off the chiles, and clean out most of the seeds. Rough chop and set aside.
Or use 8 ounces of canned roasted chile peppers from the Mexican food aisle.
Before you puree the chickpeas, save about 10 to decorate the finished dish.
Using a food processor, add the cooked chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, liquid from the chickpeas, and olive oil. Sprinkle in the New Mexico or Ancho Chile Powder. Omit the chile powder if you want to reduce the heat factor. Blend until smooth.
Add the chopped chile peppers and cumin powder. Pulse until well distributed.
Using a spatula, transfer the hummus to your favorite serving bowl and serve with dippers.
Top the hummus with a swirl of chile oil, pepita seeds, whole chickpeas and a dusting of red chile powder.
Notes
To serve: Use a large platter and place the spicy hummus in the middle. Surround with dippers such as, tortilla Chips, Triscuits, small rounds of baguette, carrots, celery, sliced cucumbers, pita Bread and even think outside the box and try cornichons.Decoration: Always save about 10 or 12 cooked chickpeas before you blend them in the food processor. Sprinkle them on top of the finished dish to add texture and decoration. Pepita seeds are a great addition for decoration, flavor and crunch. Use the handle of a spoon to carve out an indentation in the hummus. Pour in the chile oil. You can also sprinkle on a pinch of red chile powder. New Mexico, Ancho or Cayenne work well here.