What is Hummus

Hummus is a very delicious, healthy, high in protein vegan dip that is popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. This dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, sesame seed paste, olive oil and garlic. We can make different flavours of hummus by adding any type of herbs or even roasted vegetables.

My family is a huge fan of hummus and I always try to incorporate it in my many recipes. Today I am sharing a thin crust pizza recipe where I use hummus as a pizza base spread. I enhanced the flavour of hummus by adding blanched spinach, roasted peanuts along with sesame paste. I use this delicious hummus as children favourite pizza’s basic spread and it came out wonderfully delicious. In addition, I served this pizza with a delicious spinach hummus salad.

Recipe of Spinach hummus thin crust pizza

Preparation time: 3 hours

Baking time: 25 mins

Yields: 4 large pizza

Difficulty level: medium

Ingredients for the Spinach hummus

• 1 cup boiled Chickpeas or Kabuli Chana
• 1 small bunch of baby Spinach
• 1/4 th cup Roasted and peeled Peanut
• 1 tablespoon Sesame paste or Tahini
• 1-2 Garlic pods
• 1 teaspoon roasted whole Cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoon Olive oil
• to taste Salt

Ingredients for the thin crust pizza

• 4 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dry active Yeast
• 1 cup warm Water
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 2 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Ingredients for the topping

• 1/2 cup cubed red Capsicum
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Green Capsicum
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow Capsicum
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Tomato
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Onion
• 1/4 th cup pitted black Olives
• Few leaves of baby Spinach
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Semolina

Ingredients for the spinach hummus salad

• 2 tablespoon prepared spinach Hummus
• 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 cup chopped capsicums, onions and tomatoes
• 2-3 tablespoon boiled Chickpeas
• 5-6 pitted Olives

Steps

Take 1 small bunch of baby spinach and blanch in boiling water for 30-40 seconds.

Drain and wash under running water.

Take roasted peanuts and peel the skin.

In a mixer jar add 1 cup of boiled chickpeas along with it’s stock, peanuts, blanched spinach, sesame paste, roasted cumin seeds, garlic pods, chilli flakes and salt.

Grind to a fine paste, add more stock or water if necessary to grind the paste.

Add in olive oil and grind again . Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.

For the pizza crust take 1 teaspoon of good quality dry active yeast and 1 cup warm water along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Keep aside for 7-8 minutes to bloom the yeast.

For the pizza crust take all purpose flour or maida in a mixing bowl. You can make 4 thin crust pizza with 4 cups of all purpose flour.

Mix and add the bloomed yeast mixture.

Also add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix and knead to make a soft and sticky dough by adding more warm water.

Cover the dough and keep aside in a warm place for atleast 2 hour or until it doubles the size.

In the meantime cut all the vegetables for the toppings.

After 2 hours take out the dough. It becomes double in size now.

Punch the dough and transfer it to a dusted surface where you have to knead the dough for about 10 minutes.

After kneading well divide the dough into 4 equal parts.

Take one part, make a round patty and roll it to a thin round sheet.

Take an 1 oven proof round 10 inch diameter dish and spread 1 teaspoon of semolina. By doing this the bottom of your pizza wouldn’t be soggy.

Place the sheet on the dish, trim off the sides that come out of the dish and give some slits on the pizza. This will help to make your pizza little crisp.

Spread the prepared hummus to the base of the pizza. I made some small folds or pinch at the side of the pizza just for a design.

Add some grated mozzarella.

Now spread the prepared toppings over the hummus.

Also add some baby spinach leaves and olives.

Top with more mozzarella cheese and oregano herb.

Preheat oven at 250 degree C for 10 minutes.

Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top and side becomes slight golden brown.

For the hummus salad add 2 tablespoon of mayonese, 2 tablespoon of prepared spinach hummus, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes to a bowl.

Mix well and add some chopped colourful capsicums, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes,2-3 tablespoon of boiled chickpeas and some olives.

Combine well to make a delicious salad.

Serve freshly baked thin crust pizza accompanied with salad and spinach hummus.