Michael Solomonov makes his signature hummus at Zahav with an unusually generous amount of tahini—something that distinguishes the hummus of his native Israel from that of other Middle Eastern countries. He tops the dish with warm chickpeas fried with jalapeño, cumin and crushed Aleppo pepper.
Slideshow: Terrific Party Dips
Recipe from Food & Wine America's Greatest New Cooks
How to Make It
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the chickpeas, Aleppo pepper, cumin, caraway and coriander and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spices are fragrant and the chickpeas are heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
In a food processor, combine the lemon juice and garlic and pulse until the garlic is very finely chopped. Let stand for 10 minutes, then add the chickpeas, tahini, cumin and 1/2 cup of water and puree until smooth. Season with salt.
Spoon the hummus onto plates and top with the spicy chickpeas. Garnish with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges and pita bread.
Make Ahead
The hummus and spicy chick-peas can be refrigerated separately overnight. Bring the hummus to room temperature and gently reheat the chickpeas before serving.
Notes
Aleppo pepper is a moderately hot crushed dried chile from Syria and Turkey. It is available at gourmet markets and penzeys.com.