Waiting, waiting for spring! Green garbanzo hummus

After this past bone chilling cold winter, I'd promised myself that I would not say a word or whine about the weather no matter how blazing hot the summer got. Now, I'm beginning to think that I may not have to worry about breaking that promise. The cold weather never seems to be ending!
This time of the year brings with it a slew of  some special produce produce. Blink & they're gone for the year. While I wait for the first bunches of ramps to make their appearance,  I'm enjoying the bountiful supply of fresh, tender green garbanzos.

There's no dearth of dishes that this delightful produce can be the star of.  Grilled and served up with a sprinkle of sea salt,

or, sauteed with fresh coconut & slivers of raw mango, spiced up with a fiery tempering of mustard & curry leaves.

The list could go on & on & on...

I'm addicted to Hummus, but often succumb to picking up a tub from the supermarket simply because when the craving strikes, I dont have time to soak and cook up the beans before whipping up some great home made dip. So, on the last trip to the Indian grocery store (where these green garbanzos are currently in season) , I resolved to dedicate the latest bag's worth to making hummus, (or at least trying to). The end result far exceeded my expectation.
Green garbanzos have a light buttery texture when steamed, and this confers a delicate creaminess to the hummus (as opposed to the hint of mealy starch that the hydrated dried garbanzo beans bring to the dish).

The flavor of the beans is quite delicate, so I went easy on the Tahini so that the flavor of the sesame did not take center stage. Since the beans have an inherent buttery texture, the amount of tahini can be minimized. The ice cold water added to the  hummus is a technique I learned from Chef Sami Tamimi's recipe from 'Jerusalem', the book he co authored with Yotam Ottolenghi.


Green Garbanzo Hummus: (Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

You need:
2 cups freshly shucked green garbanzo
2 heaped tablespoons Tahini Paste
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1 green Serrano chili minced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt to taste
1/2 cup ice cold chilled water.

Steam the green garbanzos for about 7-10 minutes until its soft but not mushy . Allow it to cool slightly and add it into the bowl of a food processor along with the garlic and minced green chile. Pulse & run the processor until the garbanzos are almost pulverized.
Now add the Tahini along with the lemon juice and salt and run the processor until the ingredients combine.
Drizzle just enough of the ice cold water while the machine is running so that the hummus consistency turns creamy. Transfer the hummus into a container and allow to rest in the fridge for about an hour to let the flavors develop. ( the garlic needs this time to mellow down).

Serve at room temperature with Pita chips or pretzels or slather generously on a slice of good bread. I like to sprinkle the hummus with a pinch of Sumac or Aleppo pepper for an extra kick of flavor.

Bon Appetit!