I’ve shared many moments with hummus. During the ‘Beast from the East’, the first thing to go in St Andrews’ Tesco wasn’t potatoes, or chocolate cookies from the bakery — it was hummus. Normally positioned in its own fridge — that hummus had its own fridge is telling — seeing this cornucopia gutted spoke to the power of this humble dip. It’s cheap, protein-packed, and a tub plus pitta from the supermarket is a meal without the stress of cooking!

These past few years, I’ve started making my own hummus. But I knew I could do better. I learned, mostly from the YouTube channel 'Middle Eats' (@middleeatsyt on Instagram) and from talking to my friends, some handy tips that have maximised how quickly I can whip up creamy, smooth hummus without compromising on taste — it only requires a bit of planning, and will keep for a week in the fridge. I managed to make hummus every week in December, so here is the recipe I picked up that has let me live in unadulterated student bliss.

Hummus

Adapted from Obi and Salma (Middle Eats).

Ingredients

• 100g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 ice cube
• 2-3 tbsp tahini
• 1 clove of garlic
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 40g extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste, plus cumin and paprika for garnishing
• A food processor for the blitzing

Method

• Begin by boiling soaked chickpeas in salted water until it forms a thick mash. Feel free to add ⅛ tsp baking soda to expedite the process. Once cooked, let cool.
• When ready to make hummus, add garlic and most of your chickpeas to a food processor (save a small handful for garnish/damage control), and blitz with an ice cube until pale and smooth.
• Add in tahini, blitzing until combined.
• Finally, add in lemon juice and olive oil. If the mixture is looking too thick, thin with another ice cube. If the mixture is looking too thin, add in the chickpeas you saved. Season to taste.
• Serve on a plate with a small well in the middle (you can use a spoon). Place chickpeas in the well, along with cumin, paprika, and more oil. Enjoy with pitta (non-negotiable), or anything that floats your boat.