Hummus is a popular condiment in the Middle East and in the Far East… and is usually eaten with a some form of flat bread.

But this is not your ordinary hummus… and to quote my friends Mahesh & Parvathi from India… “Deb, you need to get a patent for this!”

I love the flavors of India… rich in spices like curry, cardamom, cumin (Jeera), paprika, coriander and turmeric. So, I wanted to create a hummus that was rich in Indian flavors… rich enough to be eaten just with naan bread on its own… combining spices that provide heat and sweet simultaneously.

Below are the recipes for both my Curry Hummus and homemade Naan. If you’re crunched for time, Trader Joe’s carries Naan bread in both the fresh bread section as well as the frozen food section. Both are quite tasty. But, seriously…. there is nothing like the taste of homemade Naan, fresh out of the oven. Plus, I love watching each bread round puff into a little naan pillow just before settling into its flat bread state. Pure entertainment to a foodie such as I…

Hummus Ingredients

2 12 oz cans chickpeas – drained
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbs Tahini (pictured below)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 sweet onion – chopped
3 tsp yellow curry powder or 1 tsp of yellow curry paste (I find this at the International Market – Nashville has a great one in the downtown Farmer’s Market)
1 tsp paprika
4-5 tbs olive oil – divided
1 tablespoon Patak’s Hot Curry Paste (pictured – use mild if you are not a fan of spicy food).
salt & pepper to taste

Preparation
Bring a saucepan of water to boil – add chickpeas and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic in 1-2 tbs of olive oil until softened. Add cumin, curry powder and hot curry paste, and another 2 tbs of olive oil. Continue to sauté until onions are translucent. Mixture will be yellowish-brown. Blend softened chickpeas and Tahini in food processor, adding onion & garlic mixture until thoroughly blended. Add additional olive oil until desired consistency. Give it a taste and add salt & pepper if necessary.

When mixture is creamy (but not runny, more like the consistency of mashed potatoes)) transfer to serving dish – drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Naan Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain non-dairy yogurt

Preperations
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the yogurt till the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl till it holds together well, adding more flour if necessary.

Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5 minutes till the dough feels smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel, to rest for an hour or longer.

Take the dough out and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Form each into a ball and press the balls flat into round discs.

Heat a large frying pan or griddle, either seasoned cast iron or a good non-stick finish. Heat your oven to 500 degrees. Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll it out on a floured surface till it is about 8-10 inches across and less than 1/4 inch thick. Lay it on the hot griddle and cook it over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes. It will puff up in places or all over, and there will be some brown spots on each side as you flip it. Slide a spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly onto the rack, for a minute or two, just till it finishes puffing up into a balloon and begins to color lightly on top. Remove naan from the oven and brush it lightly with melted vegan butter or olive oil.

Serve the breads hot, fresh from the oven, or let them cool and wrap them up.
To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil, in packets of 4 or 5 breads and put them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

The Perfect Bite
Scoop warm Naan bread into the hummus and enjoy! The hummus is also quite tasty on chicken or with raw or roasted veggies. Also, try it as a spread on a burger or sandwich instead of mayo.

The Perfect Pairing
To keep with the Indian theme… try an IPA (Indian Pale Ale). Or try a white blend by Hayman & Hill Interchange. Hailed as a perfect blend to accompany Indian food… thanks to its creamy and fruity aromas that offset the rich spicy flavors of the curry hummus. Enjoy!

Did You Know?
Curry has a multitude of health benefits including aiding in the prevention of Alzheimers Disease.