Hummus from the Middle East

I am not allocating hummus to a country but rather to a region.  Israelis and Arabs both claim it as their own and it's best not to argue with either of them.  So we'll just say that hummus is a classic dip from the Middle East and will be found on menus all over the region and in North Africa.
Homemade hummus is far tastier than the shop-bought ones and is surprisingly easy to make.  Whereas I put in curry powder in this recipe you can leave it out and add in pumpkin or roasted capsicum, or whatever takes your fancy.  This is a tahini-less recipe as one can't get tahini where I live.  I bought dried chickpeas, soaked them overnight and then cooked them until soft.  You can cheat and buy a can of ready-cooked chickpeas.  We won't hold that against you!

Hummus
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
Gather all your ingredients and throw them into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  The end.  As easy as that.
I sprinkle a little paprika on mine after I've spooned it into a bowl, and then dribble a little olive oil onto it. Just to pretty it up.

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Ukraine.  She is the author of The Great Mountain to Mountain Safari, The Colorful Art of Pain, Hush Baby and The Case of Billy B, all available on Amazon in both Kindle and print format.