Silky-smooth chickpea purée gets a warm topping of butter, Aleppo pepper and crispy fried pastırma. Serve this Turkish mezze with bread and fresh crunchy vegetables.
Hummus comes in many regional variations, and the exact method differs from cook to cook and from place to place. In this Turkish mezze, the base stays familiar: chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic, blended until smooth into a thick yet creamy dip. Warm butter with Aleppo pepper and pastırma adds a distinctly savoury layer. The result is rich and creamy, with lemon juice keeping the flavour bright and a little heat that doesn’t overpower it.
The texture starts with well-cooked chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are convenient and work perfectly well; rinse and drain them before blending. A food processor quickly makes the purée smooth. Scrape down the sides as you go and add cold water a little at a time: this lets you control the thickness without making the hummus watery. Tahini can become firm in the jar. Stir it well first, so the oil and sesame paste come together again.
Tahini brings a nutty, slightly bitter flavour that goes beautifully with lemon. Use fresh lemon juice and taste before adding extra salt, since pastırma is already quite salty. Cumin adds warmth in the background; use it sparingly so it doesn’t overpower the sesame and meat. Aleppo pepper is mildly fruity with moderate heat. If it’s unavailable, you can use a smaller amount of chilli flakes, ideally with a pinch of sweet paprika for a similarly rounded aroma.
Heat the butter just until it melts and the pepper starts to smell fragrant. Don’t let it brown: the aim is a mild, spiced sauce that blends into the hummus. Fry the thinly sliced pastırma briefly, until the edges are crisp. Pastırma is a Turkish air-dried, spiced beef; buy thin slices at a Turkish grocery store or a well-stocked butcher. You can also serve the hummus with just the pepper butter, without pastırma, although that will change the savoury accent.
Serve the hummus at room temperature or slightly chilled, with the butter poured over while warm so the top softens but the purée keeps its texture. Turkish pide is a good choice; pita bread works too. Cucumber and carrot make a fresh, crunchy contrast. Place the bread and raw vegetables alongside rather than on top of the hummus, so the chickpea purée and topping stay visible. Store leftovers covered in the fridge and use within three days; keep the bread and raw vegetables separate.
Put the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in a food processor. Blend to a thick purée, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
While blending, add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until the hummus is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if needed.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the Aleppo pepper as soon as the butter has melted, then remove the pan from the heat.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the pastırma slices briefly, about 30–60 seconds per side, until the edges are crisp. Fry in batches if the pan is crowded.
Spoon the hummus onto a shallow serving plate. Top with the warm pepper butter and pastırma. Serve with pide or pita bread, cucumber and carrot.
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