Recipe: Hummus in a pita bowl

When I made this hummus on Saturday morning, I almost tossed it in the bin. It tasted awful. Well, perhaps not awful, but not fabulous. Husband convinced me to wait and see if the flavours improved on standing. He was right! By the time my guests arrived at 5pm – about six hours later – it was a garlicky treat. Serving it in a pita bowl is just a bit of fun. It looks great and you can break bits off as the hummus levels dwindle.

RECIPE: HUMMUS IN A PITA BOWL

1 x 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup of tahini

1/2 cup olive oil

1 & 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons of paprika

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

Juice of two lemons

3 large pita breads

Chopped fresh coriander leaves to serve

METHOD: Place the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, salt, lemon juice and paprika in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add more olive oil if necessary. Set aside for a few hours. Just before guests arrive, preheat oven to 180C. Push one of the large pita breads into an oven-proof bowl to form it into a bowl shape. Cut the other two pitas into small wedges and arrange in a single layer on two baking trays. Bake bowl and trays in oven for about 10 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven and cool.  Take pita bowl out of oven bowl and fill with hummus. Sprinkle hummus with coriander leaves. Serve with pita chips.