24 Sep 2018

Hummus & pita: middle eastern fast food

From Nine To Noon, 11:35 am on 24 September 2018
No caption

Photo: supplied

Danny and Yaron Eliahu, whose family business has been supplying New Zealanders with fresh pita bread for 30 years.

When the family emigrated to New Zealand from Israel in the 1988, Danny realised that pita bread was not part of the Kiwi diet. He set out to change that: the business now employs 30 staff and Danny's Pita Bread is available nationwide. 

Yaron's Humus recipe:

Ingredients:
500g Chickpeas (dry)
350g Tahini (raw)
17g Salt
1 medium garlic clove (crushed)
The juice of one lime

Pre-soak the chickpeas in bowl full of water overnight.

Place the soaked chickpeas in a pressure pot, cover in water, bring up to the pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Let them cool down for an hour or so. Alternatively, if you don't have a pressure cooker you can cook them in a regular pot. Add half teaspoon of baking soda to the water and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours. (the soda will help with softening of the chickpeas)

Place cooked chickpeas in a food processor and mash, add the water from the cooked chickpeas to help with the process until the mixture turns smooth.

Add salt, garlic, lime juice and tahini, keep mixing until it is evenly mixed. If the humus is too hard, add more of the water from the boiled chickpeas. Remember, when the humus cools down it will become firmer so you can make it slightly runnier if you wish.

Serve on a plate forming a ring of humus on the outer side of the plate. Sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley, paprika powder and finish with drizzle of olive oil.