Life goes on – this pretty much sums up the way Mumbaikars are dealing with the aftermath of the horrible terror attack. Hurt by the political inability to provide a secure life but determined as always by the never-say-die attitude, they have shown resilience and have risen from the ashes (literally). To put it succinctly, the city in particular and the country in general has moved on. A recent news about the last edition of Harry Potter flick opening to packed theatres in Mumbai got me amused. Well, if a movie can enthuse masses,so be it ! You don’t stop living- you just don’t stop believing ; saluting Mumbai’s indomitable spirit !
Will continue my musings some other time—
Today’s recipe of hummus is a dip that has me completely hooked. The middle-eastern dish that means chickpeas in Arabic also spelt as houmous/hoummos/hommos is made from mashed chickpeas, sesame paste, olive oil and seasonings. The creamy goodness of the dip lends its punch to anything it is paired with. To make the hummus even more exciting, a variety of ingredients are added. This recipe for hummus calls for roasted carrots that gives the dip a terrific taste.
Chickpeas + The charred root veggie bursting with nutrients + the nutty taste of sesame seeds + the earthy flavor of the roasted cumin seeds = lip smacking hummus

It’s a complete protein-packed goodness that can  be enjoyed in a number of ways – as a dip with any flat bread and/or crudites or as a sandwich spread, in wraps and in pita pockets.

What’s in it :- (Recipe Source for the hummus : here)

• Carrots – 2 (large) – scrubbed and thickly sliced
• Cumin seeds – 1 1/2 tsp
• Sesame Seeds – 2 to 3 tbsp (use  1 heaped tbsp of tahini paste if you have)
• Olive oil – as required
• Salt and pepper – to taste
• Garlic clove – 1 huge pod – roughly chopped and crushed
• Chickpeas – 400 gms (approx) – , drained (if using canned), else soaked & cooked
• Lemon juice – to taste
• Red Chilli Powder/Paprika – little (for garnish)

Preheat oven on grill mode to 200 C / 400 F. Spread the carrots along with cumin seeds, olive oil & seasoning and grill/roast them till they are charred & smoky. It takes about 30-35 minutes. Let cool. 

In the meanwhile, warm a pan and toast the sesame seeds till they are golden brwon. Take care not to burn them. Alternative if you have tahini paste (which is sesame seeds paste) use as your taste buds dictate. Combine the garlic, chickpeas, toasted sesame seeds, cumin-spiked carrots in a blender/food processor and pulse until coarse-fine. Dribble in olive oil as required to bring the mix to a pulp. Squeeze lemon juice to taste, check for seasonings and serve with warm flatbread.

Assembling a hummus wrap is no rocket science-  take a flatbread (phulka), spread the dip liberally , tip in grated cheese, onion, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce (practically anything you want to eat). Roll in to a wrap, cut across & enjoy !!

Linking this to Reva’s Veggie/Fruit a month : Carrot , event announcement by Priya



Also to Vardhini’s Fast Food Not Fat Food ; event by Priya Mahadevan