Hummus made from okara / Hummus without chickpeas

After almost a month of lockdown, it seems like everyone has tried their best of recipes and made some progress in their culinary skills and also in satisfying their tastebuds. While a lot of them have access to fresh stocks of fruits, vegetables and exotic veggies too; many of us are still struggling to get basic essentials.

Back in 2015 when I went to UAE, I immediately fell in love with the Arabic and Lebanese food there and the side effects of that trip was an unending craving for a good hummus here in Mumbai, India. All my following trips to UAE also contributed in my ever-increasing love for the Arabic cuisine. It also happened that when I turned vegan almost 3 years ago, the only item I used to order at restaurants was a hummus platter or Chinese food as back then there were minimum or no options of vegan restaurants in Mumbai. In current date, veganism is extending and a lot of restaurants and cafes have popped in with amazing vegan food.

I have been making hummus since a year now, and it turns out that it is the easiest recipe ever; has a lot of variations, is highly nutritious and is also that the ingredients are minimal and readily available everywhere. The other variations I love are Spinach Hummus, Avocado Hummus, Beetroot Hummus, Carrot Hummus from my list.

Ever since the Lockdown has started, I have ran out of chickpeas and never got it in my area. But, I did get soy beans and since the availability of soy milk is zero, I started practicing my soy milk making process on weekly basis. Means, I had quite a stock of okara. If you’re not a vegan or if you don’t know what is okara – Okara is the soy pulp consisting of insoluble parts if the soybean that remains after pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk and tofu. It is generally white, cream or yellowish in color. You can store okara for upto a month in an air-tight jar in fridge (not freezer) if you have drained the water completely. It is an important step!

There are many ways to use Okara. It is healthy and is a part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China. It contains high amount of fibre, protein and calcium, iron, Vitamin B-6 & magnesium. The fat content is low and about 100 grams of Okara contains approx 77 calories! I like to make fritters, meat balls, hummus, pancakes etc. However, whenever you wish to make use of the stored okara, make sure you cook it before adding it into your recipes. Dry roasting it for about 10 minutes works best.

Last evening, I made some quick, fresh Tahini that I could use for making hummus. For Tahini, you only need 3 ingredients – fresh white sesame seeds, a pinch of salt and oil. I prefer to use grapeseed oil for balancing the nutty taste that sets in Tahini which comes from dry-roasting the sesame seeds, like so:

While I was preparing my oats soup for dinner, I decided to make good use of the okara and made this delicious and creamy hummus. So, simultaneously, while my soup was simmering, I made this quick hummus.

Print Recipe

Hummus made from Okara / Hummus without Chickpeas

Don't worry if you don't have chickpeas or olive oil; we all know it is a tough time and lockdown feels like never ending! So, to my fellow vegans and lovers of soy – this is for you!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Creamy Tasty Hummus Recipe, Dosa, Lentil Dosa, Okara Recipe, Vegan Recipe, Okara Dosa, Protein recipe, Food Recipe, Hummus, Hummus Recipe, Okara Hummus, Soy Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cups Okara (soy pulp leftover from making soy milk or tofu)
• ½ cup Grapeseed Oil
• 2 tbsp Tahini
• 4-5 medium Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Cumin Powder

Instructions

• Dry roast the okara for about 5- minutes till it turns little dry and crunchy, color will turn a bit darker too. Just very little, not to over cook.
• Let it cool till room temperature. Add the okara once cooled, along with Tahini paste, garlic, cumin powder, salt and about 1 tsp of oil into a blending jar.
  
• Blend the mixture well. Open the jar and scrap off the sides, add about 2 tsp of oil and blend again. Repeat this step for about 2-3 times till a creamy yet thick paste is formed.
• Your hummus is ready, transfer it to a bowl or jar. Drizzle some oil on it and a pinch of red pepper powder (optional) and garnish with some fresh cilantro / mint/ coriander / parsley.
• You can store this in an air-tight jar for about 2-3 weeks. For increasing the shelf life, make sure that the okara you store and use is completely dry, in that case your hummus will stay fresh upto a month.

Give this hummus a try and you will know why vegans have more options and how they are able to make various delicacies just by not harming any life out there. This can become a routine for most of us! Please share your feedback or views on this recipe. Thank you!