Homemade hummus with sweet and sour aubergine.

Choose first: do you want to make the hummus in the original way it's done in Tel Aviv? Then soak 100g chickpeas in water water with 1/2 tsp baking soda, for at least 12 hrs

Cut 1,5 aubergines in big dices, sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp sea salt, and mix well with your hands, leave for 35 mins to get out as much liquid as possible.

Dry on kitchen paper and deep fry, batch by batch in 180°C sunflower oil. Drain on kitchen paper 

Peel and deseed 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into small cubes.

Finely slice 1/2 red chili, 1 big clove of garlic and 1,5 cm ginger. Sweat them in a tbsp olive oil for 3 mins.

Add 25ml red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp brown sugar, 200g tomato pulp from a tin, 1 tsp tomato paste and 1 tsp Turkish ground tomato. Softly boil for 5 mins.

Add the aubergine and 2 sliced spring onions and simmer for another 5 mins. Taste and season with salt and paper. Cool and keep in de fridge overnight, to improve the taste.

For the original hummus heat the next day your highest (soup)pan, drain the chickpeas that have been soaking overnight, put them in the hot pan with 1/2 tsp baking soda and a little bit of water. Bake them for 3 mins, keep stirring and if necessary add water to avoid burning.

Transfer the pan to the sink and fill with2 liters of cold water. As soon as the peas are cold enough massage them between your hands to remove the skins. 

Turn the tap at full power, the peas will stay at the bottom and the skins will float to the surface. Pour out the water to remove the skins. Repeat this a few times

Transfer the peas to a low pan, refresh the water, the peas should be under 3 cm of water, and bring to the boil.

Skim off the foam and add a clove of garlic. Put on the lid and boil on a low fire till you can crush a ckickpea between 2 fingers, which will be after 30-35 mins.

Take of the lid, set the fire on high and, stirring, reduce the liquid, till you're left with a thick pea paste, add 1.2 tsp salt. Cool.

Transfer to the kitchen machine with 90g tahine and the juice of 3/4 lemon.

Let the machine do the work for the next 10 mins. Add a bit of water from time to time

Taste and season with salt and maybe some more lemon juice.

When the taste is perfect add more water till the humus has the consistency of Greek yoghurt.

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(The alternative: use Simon Hopkinsons recipe. Open a can or bottle of chickpeas, save the cooking liquid and rinse the peas before tipping them on a clean tea towel. Cover with a second towel and rub the peas with 2 hands to remove the skins.

Put 150g peas in the food processor with 50g tahin, 2 tbsp cooking liquid, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp ground cumin

Again let the machine do the work for the next 10 mins. Add a bit of water from time to time)

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Scoop 4 heaped spoonfuls  thinned hummus onto 2 plates, turning the plates with one hand during the pouring to create a circle.

Fill the 'crater' in the middle with the sweet and sour aubergine.

Garnish with chopped parsley and baharat. Serve with toasted pita bread, cut into soldiers.

(Another Jigal Krant recipe)

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