Made chick peas into natto, and then made that into hummus.

Natto

Soak a bag of garbanzos/chick peas overnight. Boil the chick peas gently until fully cooked, around 90 minutes.

Dump in a pack of natto, defrosted. Stir into the beans well, and then put it into an oven with only the pilot light on. If you don’t have a pilot light, wrap the pot in a towel, for insulation. Cover it with a lid, but use chopsticks or spoons to prop up the lid, to allow a big gap for air. Age it in the oven for 24 hours.

When it’s done, and the beans are covered in a fuzzy “fur” of natto, dump it into a plastic container with a lid. Age it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days for full flavor.

Hummus

In a blender or food processor, add a lot of hulled sesame seeds. Aim for 1/3 of the final volume, or so. Add some water, and blitz, to make a sesame paste. You can add a little sesame oil, or a bit of olive oil, to add flavor and smooth it more.

Add 2-3 cloves of garlic. Blitz. Add some olive oil and lemon juice, and blitz more. Add chickpea natto, and blend. Add water if it’s too thick. Keep adding beans and water.

If it’s too full, remove half, and add some water and beans, and blitz more, until you have a good batch.

Then do the same for the portion that was removed.

This hummus tastes like regular hummus. There’s a hint of natto nuttyness and bitterness, but it’s overwhelemed by the garlic and lemon.