For his take on the ubiquitous dip, Istanbul's star chef Mehmet Gürs uses earthy green lentils instead of chickpeas but stirs in a little of hummus's classic ingredient—tahini—for nuttiness. He also likes to flavor his hummus with spices, like cinnamon, or in this case, cumin. Party Dips and Spreads
How to Make It
In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, green lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and boil the lentils over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and let the lentils cool slightly.
Transfer the cooked lentils to a food processor. Add the chopped garlic, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Scrape the hummus into a bowl, stir in the cumin and 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro and season with salt and cayenne. Garnish the hummus with paprika and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Serve the lentil hummus warm or at room temperature with pita chips and vegetable crudités.