I know what you’re thinking... chickpea butter? Jess, sweetie, isn’t that hummus?
No (darling) it’s not. Hummus is when you treat the chickpea like a bean. Butter is when you treat it like a nut.
Here I pureed roasted chickpeas, which are hard and toasty and a fine subsititute for nuts if you're looking for a change or are unheathily addicted to nuts. Roasted chickpeas also have an extra-concentrated, soulful chickpea character. Like the old raisin and the young grape, roasted chickpeas have a depth of character that moist chickpeas do not.
This potent mixture gains resonance with hummus flavors: cumin, lemon, and garlic. It can be spread on lavash with some quince jam for a Middle Eastern lunch. Or perhaps presented on a cracker with a red cabbage slaw for a falafel canape. Or you can really treat it like peanut butter, and eat it by the spoonful.
RECIPE:
Vitamix on the highest setting 1 1/2 cups of roasted chickpeas. Roasting cooked chickpeas yourself is NOT the same. You have to buy them. Since they have no fat, they will turn into a flour, not a paste.
Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 clove of garlic. Keep Vitamixing until the mixture comes together, adding more wet elements as necessary. If you want something more spreadable, add more olive oil. If you want to keep it lighter/brighter, add yogurt or lemon juice.
Buy your roasted chickpeas from an Indian grocery store. This company sells them in more mainstream stores, but they are processed and flavored.
Other Applications
- Keep the chickpea butter on the dry side and pan-fry it for a socca, a chickpea pancake popular in Nice.
- Sprinkle the chickpea powder over your food for a type of healthy umami (ie: Bacos for vegans)