HomeMade Hummus

The first time my wife said she wanted some hummus, I thought she was asking for some sort of four wheel drive vehicle.  I never heard of it before, and after looking at it in the clear top container... I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like it.  But I was wrong. Hummus is actually very good, and if it's made from chick peas (garbanzo beans) it's also good FOR you. Seems they are hign in fiber and help reduce cholesterol, stress, and a bunch of other stuff we men don't care to talk about. 
     I got tired of buying it, so I thought I'd make some. 

Sort through a cupful of the dried beans, looking for stones, debris and shriveled beans. Discard these and add the remaining beans to a saucepan. Cover the beans with 3 cups of water, place a lid on the pan and let the beans soak overnight.

• Step 2  Drain and rinse the beans. Add 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil to a large saute pan and heat over medium high heat. Add chopped onion and the garlic to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add 1/2 tsp. of cumin and turmeric and 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon and cook for another minute. If you prefer, you can substitute these spices for a garam masala spice mix. Garam masala is widely used in Indian cooking, and is a wonderfully fragrant combination of spices (see link below for a recipe).
• Step 3  Add the rinsed beans to the pan along with 2 cups of vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan and remove from the heat. Let the pan sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.