Liven up your pita bread with a different kind of hummus -- Edamame Hummus.

Chef Ajay Thakur replaces chickpeas with edamame, which is a great source of protein, and seasons the hummus with cumin and coriander powder.

You can also check out his handy recipe to make Classic Hummus at home.

Edamame Hummus

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 500 gm edamame beans (available frozen in pods in gourmet grocery stores and the beans should be removed from the pods)
• 100 gm tahini paste
• 100 ml lemon juice
• 5 gm garlic, peeled
• 1 big onion, chopped
• 3 gm jeera or cumin powder, roasted
• 5 gm dhania or coriander powder
• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• Water to boil the edamame
• Chilled mineral or filtered or boiled water
• Salt to taste

To garnish

• Edible flowers, available fresh at vegetable stockists who supply exotic vegetables
• Truffle oil, optional
• A few blanched edamame beans.

Method

• Heat 3-4 cups water in a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
  Add salt.
  When the water comes to a boil, add the edamame beans and let it cook uncovered for 5 minutes. 
  Take off heat.
  Drain.
  Keep aside to cool.
• In a blender, add the blanched and cooled edamame, chopped onion, garlic.
  Add the coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, salt, olive oil.
  Blend until smooth.
  Add the tahini paste, lemon juice and blend until absorbed.
• If the paste is too thick add a litle chilled mineral or filtered or boiled water to loosen it and blend again.
• Transfer into a small bowl, stir in the chopped parsley.
  Garnish with edible flowers, edamame beans and drizzle some truffle oil
  Serve with pita chips, pitas, lavash, sticks of carrot and cucumber or crisp pieces of toast.
  This hummus can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a few days or stored frozen for much longer.

Note: If you desire a spicy hummus, garnish with red chilly powder.

For a Jain version, omit the garlic and onions and add a generous pinch of hing or asafetida.

This hummus is ideal for shawarma. Replace the mayonnaise in Ramapriya Suresh's Street-Style Chicken Shawarma recipe with hummus or add both.

Chef Ajay Thakur is the corporate chef at Bayroute, a restaurant in Mumbai.

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