I have created this recipe based on two inspirations: a raw hummus recipe I found in a cookbook once, and on one of my favorite hummuses, Trader Joe’s Cilantro Jalapeno hummus. The original recipe was made with red bell bepper and different seasonings. The recipe from the cookbook used different seasonings and red bell pepper, which is all well and good, but after tasting the one from Trader Joe’s, I saw this as a great opportunity to combine the two recipes to have an extraordinarily refreshing and unique kind of hummus–that is raw too! I really like the combination of jalapeno and cilantro because it is very reminiscent of indian food, like mint chutney. I read an article recently about a recent study out of the wonderful world of chemistry, on why Indian cuisine is so unique and hence so loved by indians and non-indians alike. The study found that the cuisine, in contrast to most cuisines around the world that combine ingredients based on like chemical properties (or to the non-chemist, like flavors and aromas), indian dishes combine ingredients that do not share these properties. With that you get combinations like curry and cinnamon, which on the surface sounds terrible, but in the context of a good dish and all the other ingredients, you experience the unique dance of sweet and spicy flavors on the tongue whenever you chow down on aloo mattar or vegetable vindaloo.
This is a very healthy option, full of healthy fats, protein, and several vitamins. It is also very aromatic. I bought most of these ingredients at a farmers’ market, but you obviously don’t have to do so. Single bell peppers are usually less than a dollar, as are the amounts of the other ingredients that this recipe calls for.