Hummus Bi Tahini: Lebanese-Syrian Recipe

If you are having a dip emergency, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Immediately click the link above to get to the Hummus Bi Tahini recipe. And if you’d like a little story time first …. I indulge you here. If not, click the button above. I serve all equally.

How I got to love Middle Eastern food

When I was in kindergarten, my mother married Dad aka George Mitchell David.  My first memory of him was of a very tall, dark-haired man wearing a long tan trench coat with pockets full of Juicy Fruit gum and Mary Jane candies which he happily doled out to this wee holder of full-on boring suspicious eyes.  He was a wonderful man who not only stepped into the very difficult position of stepfather to two young children but also folded us into his very large, very close Syrian-Lebanese family.

The David clan was headed by a wizened old couple I knew as Jitto (grandfather) and Tita (grandmother).  They were Dad’s grandparents. They weren’t around long for me to get to know but long enough to have given me terrific memories of Sunday visits to their rowhouse in DC. We walked in to loud chatter, laughter and mysterious smells and tastes.  Each Sunday there was a feast to be had that rivaled any Thanksgiving table.  There were stuffed grape leaves, hunks of lamb and chicken, platters of cooked and raw vegetables, and luscious dips and spreads, many of which frightened me at first but eventually I looked forward to.

leguminous love

My absolute favorite treat there, in line with my love of all things leguminous, was the hummus bi tahini.  Like most families, the Davids have their favorite way of making hummus which is very lemony and garlic-forward with a pretty distinct tahini presence as well.  The texture was smooth and velvety, not glumpy, gritty or thick.  It is served with delicious chewy pita bread and onion wedges for dipping.  Dad died in 2002 after a valiant battle with cancer. I lost touch with the rest of David side of the family, many of whom have sadly passed as well. But, to this day, when I whiz up a batch of hummus for my family I flash back to that rowhouse overstuffed with good eats, loud laughter, and lots of love and share the stories.

My recipe for hummus is below. But before you take a gander, when I called my favorite sister about this recipe – being as she’s a David by birth – I was hoping has the secret Middle Eastern knowledge that I could pass along. She listened patiently to my recipe. Then she shared the Ottolenghi recipe she uses. She did say it is in need of tweaking in the lemon and garlic department (need more). This advice is spot on.  So, in full disclosure, here’s the Yotam Ottolenghi recipe that Monica recommends and which I will try. 

five ingredient bliss

And now I humbly share mine below because it can be whipped up in five minutes tops, eaten immediately, or if you are able to give it an hour or so for the flavors to mix and mingle, you’re still getting pretty close to instant gratification from a most spectacular dip.  I wholeheartedly suggest using the best pita you can find for dipping (in the DC area I suggest the Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria, VA) and do try wedges of sweet onion as well.  My perfect bite: a triangle of pita topped with a thin wedge of onion dipped into the hummus.  Rowhouse, loud animated voices, warm spicy smells all come rushing back.

As a non-authentic hummus luvva, I’d like to add that with a tiny drizzle of nice olive oil and/or a dab of spicy Sambal (or a similar such spicy kick if you’re up for it) and/or a sprinkle of dukkah, you are all set. My lunch as I type is slices of hothouse cucumber dipped in hummus and sambal. Lovely.

Enjoy!

UPDATE 03/2021