Roasted Mushroom Hummus with Black Gram

Hummus is a must buy, must have item in our household. A grocery run is incomplete if we don’t come away with at least one package of hummus- usually with roasted red peppers. And then if we are out of it, I make some at home using freshly steamed chickpeas.

But what to do when out of chickpeas?

Use an unlikely but superb pairing of earthy flavours and protein packed black gram. 
In the pantry of every Indian kitchen lie jars of dals (legumes), some split and husked and others that are whole. One such is the Sabut Urad (whole urad) also known as Kaali Dal or Black Gram for its colour, or as vigna mungo.
This lentil is native to India and has been cultivated and cooked in the subcontinent for a long long time. Stewed with kidney beans and split chana dal it yields a creamy, luxurious dish. We have two wonderful recipes using black gram- Mahn di Dal and Dal Makhni.
Another reason I thought of black gram as a hummus ingredients is it’s bean like texture and quality. And if I was going to make a different hummus why not also add another secret ingredient, right?
In come the mushrooms. I enjoy the earthy, muskiness of mushrooms that adds a wonderful dimension and counter to the creaminess of hummus. Yet another benefit of adding mushrooms is that I could use them before they started their descent into food for other kinds of fungi. Is that not a common problem? So much produce gets thrown out because we just cannot find time to cook it!

Without boring you with more of my lamenting, here is the recipe of my Roasted Mushroom Hummus with Black Gram.

Total Cooking Time ~ 1 hour 

Inactive ~ 15 minutes, Active ~ 40-45 minutes.

Ingredients

Part 1: Steaming Black Gram

1/2 cup Black Gram,
1 1/2 cups water,
1 tsp salt.

Part 2: Roasting Mushrooms

5-6 Button or Cremini Mushroom (preferably something mild in flavour),
1 tsp each Salt and Black Pepper,
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder,
1 tbsp Oil.

Part 3: Making Hummus:

Steamed Black Gram,
Roasted Mushrooms,
~ 1/4 cup Tahini (adjust to taste),
4 tbsp Olive Oil (reduce or increase according to taste),
Juice of 1 lime (or lemon),
3-4 Garlic Cloves.

Method:  

Part 1 is to cook lentils and have them ready to eventually blend and make hummus. The black gram is a hard lentil that needs lots of moisture and 30 to 40 minutes of steaming in a pressure cooker. Wash lentils in running water, transfer to a pressure cook and add salt. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on high heat until the first whistle. Then lower the heat and continue cooking for a total cooking time between 30 and 40 minutes. Open the lid cautiously. Wait until the steam escapes and the lid falls open easily. Let them cool before blending. An easy way to hasten cooling is to transfer the lentils to a wide mouth bowl, or shallow utensil like a parath, or to use an ice bath.
Part 2 is to roast the mushrooms. While lentils are cooking, preheat an oven to 375 F. Clean and wash them well, then pat dry with a paper towel. Toss with oil and seasonings in a bowl mix. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, turning in between, until they are brown and soft. You could also saute and roast them on the stove top in a heavy bottomed pan.

Part 3 is the final step of blending everything into hummus. Now that the lentils are cooked and cool and mushrooms are roasted, we begin to put everything together in a blender or food processor. Transfer cooked black gram, mushrooms – reserve a few for garnishing, garlic, tahini, olive oil and lime juice and blend into a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning.
**Note- use a mild flavoured mushroom for making this hummus in order to appeal to a crowd. But if you are cooking for yourself, feel free to use your favourite mushrooms.

That’s it! Creamy and delicious Roasted Mushroom Hummus with Black Gram is ready.

Garnish with chopped mushrooms and dip in.

Roasted Mushroom Hummus with Black Gram

2018-06-26 18:07:16

Serves 1

A delicious hummus made using Black gram instead of chickpeas with the added flavour of roasted mushrooms. It's easy to make and adds style to a humble dip.

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Ingredients

1. Part 1: Steaming Black Gram
2. 1/2 cup Black Gram,
3. 1 1/2 cups water,
4. 1 tsp salt.
5. Part 2: Roasting Mushrooms
6. 5-6 Button or Cremini Mushroom (preferably something mild in flavour),
7. 1 tsp each Salt and Black Pepper,
8. 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder,
9. 1 tbsp Oil.

Part 3: Making Hummus

1. Steamed Black Gram,
2. Roasted Mushrooms,
3. ~ 1/4 cup Tahini (adjust to taste),
4. 4 tbsp Olive Oil (reduce or increase according to taste),
5. Juice of 1 lime (or lemon),
6. 3-4 Garlic Cloves.

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Instructions

1. Part 1 is to cook lentils.
2. Wash lentils in running water, transfer to a pressure cook and add salt.
3. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on high heat for the first 10 minutes or until the first whistle.
4. Then lower the heat and continue cooking for a total cooking time between 30 and 40 minutes. Open the lid cautiously.
5. Wait until the steam escapes and the lid falls open easily. Let them cool before blending.
6. Part 2 is to roast the mushrooms.
7. Preheat an oven to 375 F.
8. Clean and wash them mushroom, then pat dry with a paper towel.
9. Toss with oil and seasonings in a bowl mix.
10. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, turning in between, until they are brown and soft.
11. Part 3 is the final step of blending everything into hummus.
12. Transfer cooked black gram, mushrooms – reserve a few for garnishing- garlic, tahini, olive oil and lime juice to a blender/food processor and blend into a smooth paste.
13. Taste and adjust seasoning.
14. Garnish with chopped mushroom and enjoy.

Notes

1. **Note- use a mild flavoured mushroom for making this hummus in order to appeal to a crowd. But if you are cooking for yourself, feel free to use your favourite mushrooms.

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By Kanika Samra

Kitchenpostcards https://www.kitchenpostcards.com/

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