Orange Blossom Water

Hummus is a Middle Eastern food that has become popular in other areas of the world. Hummus is made of chickpeas as the primary ingredient — after all, the word “hummus” means chickpeas in Arabic.

In Syria, Hummus has different varieties:

Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitoun: a specialty of Hama, chickpeas blended with olive oil only. Mostly eaten as breakfast.

Hummus Bet-Tehineh: chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt.

Hummus Bet-Tehineh W Lahmeh: same above but topped with meat and pine nuts.

Let’s make Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitoun:

1, 2, 3, 4. Measure 300 g (1 1/2 cups) dried chickpeas and put in a deep pot.

5, 6, 7, 8. Rinse chickpeas in several changes with water.

9, 10, 11. Pour 2000 ml (8 cups) water to cover chickpeas.

12. Add 1/2 teaspoon Qelo to chickpeas or 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Qelo قلو: is a white powder. In Syria, it is added to to tenderize chickpeas during cooking. You can substitute with baking soda (each one teaspoon of Qelo equal to two teaspoons of baking soda), but Qelo is much way better and will not leave a bitter taste.

13, 14, 15, 16. Cover the pot, and let chickpeas to soak for 12 hours at room temperature.

17. After 12 hours, chickpeas will expand to over double their size.

18, 19, 20. Drain water from chickpeas.

21, 22, 23. Pour 2000 ml (8 cups) water to cover chickpeas.

24. Turn on heat and keep on high heat until boiling.

25 to 32. During boiling, a foam will occur on surface of the water. Skim any foam that rises to the surface.

33. Once boiling vigorously, reduce heat and keep on low heat and start to count time.

34, 35, 36. Cover the pot partially.

37, 38, 39. After 10 minutes of reducing heat, add 1/2 teaspoon Qelo or 1 teaspoon baking soda.

40. Keep the pot on low heat and partially covered.

41, 42, 43, 44. After 60 minutes of adding qelo or before chickpeas are fully cooked, take some chickpeas to a bowl.

45. The reserved chickpeas will be used for garnish, set aside.

46, 47, 48. Keep chickpeas on low heat until cooked and tender but not mushy, the total time for cooking chickpeas (step 33 – step 48) is 100 minutes. The time varies according to the type of the chickpeas.

49, 50, 51, 52. Weight of chickpeas after cooking is 790 g. Put the chickpeas in a bowl and allow to slightly cool before processing.

53, 54, 55, 56. Transfer cooked chickpeas to food processor.

57, 58, 59. Add 170 ml olive oil to chickpeas.

60. Add 1 1/8 teaspoons salt to chickpeas.

61 to 70. Process the chickpeas continuously until it becomes very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to integrate any large chunks. I added half amount of olive oil in step 58 then added the rest in step 65.

71. Bring a serving plate.

72. Transfer hummus to the plate.

73 to 80. Use a back of spoon to smooth and make some swirly divets on the top.

81, 82, 83, 84. Bring chickpeas that kept aside (step 45) and use to garnish hummus, put them in the middle.

Grilled onion

Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitou is served with grilled onion.

85, 86. Peel onion.

87, 88. Score a cross.

89, 90. Place onions in an oven dish, with cross up. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

91, 92, 92. Drizzle with olive oil.

94, 95. Traditionally onions are grilled on charcoal grill but I grilled them in the oven. Heat the oven at 390 – 480 °F (200 – 250 °C). Turn on the oven upper burner “broiler” and turn off the bottom burner “bake function”. Place the dish in the oven and broil until onions are cooked and turns to black.

96. Transfer grilled onion to serving plate.

97. Serve Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitoun with Arabic flat bread, tomato, red radish, mint, parsley, cucumber pickles, turnip pickles, green onion, grilled onion, and ‘atoun “cured black olives, Syrian way”.

Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitoun

From: Family Recipe / Servings: 3 People
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

300 g (1 1/2 cups) dried chickpeas 2000 ml (8 cups) water, to soak chickpeas 1/2 tsp qelo or 1 tsp baking soda 2000 ml (8 cups) water, to cook chickpeas 1/2 tsp qelo or 1 tsp baking soda 170 ml olive oil 1 1/8 tsp salt Garnish Reserved chickpeas, read directions Grilled Onion 9 Red onions, peeled 1/4 tsp salt olive oil, to drizzle To Serve Arabic flat bread Tomato Red radish Fresh mint leaves Parsley Cucumber Pickles Turnip Pickles Green onion Grilled onion ‘Atoun

Measure 300 g (1 1/2 cups) dried chickpeas and put in a deep pot. Rinse chickpeas in several changes with water. Pour 2000 ml (8 cups) water to cover chickpeas. Add 1/2 teaspoon Qelo to chickpeas or 1 teaspoon baking soda. Qelo قلو: is a white powder. In Syria, it is added to chickpeas to tenderize chickpeas during cooking. You can substitute with baking soda (each one teaspoon of Qelo equal to two teaspoons of baking soda), but Qelo is much way better and will not leave a bitter taste. Cover the pot, and let chickpeas to soak for 12 hours at room temperature. After 12 hours, chickpeas will expand to over double their size. Drain water from chickpeas. Pour 2000 ml (8 cups) water to cover chickpeas. Turn on heat and keep on high heat until boiling. Once boiling vigorously, reduce heat and keep on low heat and start to count time. Cover the pot partially. After 10 minutes of reducing heat, add 1/2 teaspoon Qelo or 1 teaspoon baking soda. Keep the pot on low heat and partially covered. After 60 minutes of adding qelo or before chickpeas are fully cooked, take some chickpeas to a bowl. The reserved chickpeas will be used for garnish, set aside. Keep chickpeas on low heat until cooked and tender but not mushy, the total time for cooking chickpeas (step 33 – step 48) is 100 minutes. The time varies according to the type of the chickpeas. Weight of chickpeas after cooking is 790 g. Put the chickpeas in a bowl and allow to slightly cool before processing. Transfer cooked chickpeas to food processor. Add 170 ml olive oil to chickpeas. Add 1 1/8 teaspoons salt to chickpeas. Process the chickpeas continuously until it becomes very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to integrate any large chunks. I added half amount of olive oil in step 58 then added the rest in step 65. Bring a serving plate. Transfer hummus to the plate. Use a back of spoon to smooth and make some swirly divets on the top. Bring chickpeas that kept aside (step 45) and use to garnish hummus, put them in the middle. Grilled onion Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitoun is served with grilled onion. Peel onion. Score a cross. Place onions in an oven dish, with cross up. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Traditionally onions are grilled on charcoal grill but I grilled them in the oven. Heat the oven at 390 – 480 °F (200 – 250 °C). Turn on the oven upper burner “broiler” and turn off the bottom burner “bake function”. Place the dish in the oven and broil until onions are cooked and turns to black. Transfer grilled onion to serving plate. Serve Hummus Bi-Zeit Az-Zeitoun with Arabic flat bread, tomato, red radish, mint, parsley, cucumber pickles, turnip pickles, green onion, grilled onion, and ‘atoun “cured black olives, Syrian way”.

Notes and Tips

300 g chickpeas is approximately 1 1/2 cups.

Qelo قلو: is a white powder. In Syria, it is added to to tenderize chickpeas during cooking. You can substitute with baking soda (each one teaspoon of Qelo equal to two teaspoons of baking soda), but Qelo is much way better and will not leave a bitter taste.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 22nd, 2017 at 6:55 PM and is filed under Syrian Breakfast, Syrian Cooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.