Traditional houmous

Drain the chickpeas, reserving 60ml of the liquid in a jug. Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse two or three times to break down.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and 50ml of the reserved chickpea liquid and process for 1–2 mins until smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and add the remaining 10ml liquid if the consistency is still a little thick. Taste for seasoning, then blitz again for a further 30 secs until the houmous is soft and creamy.

To serve, spoon the houmous onto a plate in a mound. With the back of a spoon smear it across the plate. If using, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of sweet paprika and parsley.

Cook’s tip: To add texture, fry a couple of handfuls of chickpeas (dried with kitchen paper) over a medium heat in a frying pan, with olive oil, for 1–2 mins. Shake the pan to move them around. Add 1 tsp ground cumin and a pinch of sea salt. Shake to coat chickpeas well before removing to a plate to cool. Sprinkle over the finished houmous.