Roast Pumpkin Hummus

 Ingredients:

• 1/8 medium Jap pumpkin, roughly chopped into medium cubes (makes 1 cup (120g) when cooked)
• 1/3 cup tahini 
• 1 lemon, to make 2 tbsp of juice and 1 tsp of zest 
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric 
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1⁄4 cup ice cold water
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp tamari
• 1⁄2 tsp sumac 

• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped 
• Pinch of sumac 

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200°C fan. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 
• Place the pumpkin on the baking tray with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for approx. 30 minutes, until soft. Once cooked, leave to cool for 10-15 minutes. Hot pumpkin in your hummus can change the consistency. 
• In a high-speed blender, add the cooked pumpkin, tahini, lemon juice and zest, garlic, cumin, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and the optional ingredients, if using. Blend until the tahini goes a white colour and it becomes a smooth paste. 
• Add the chickpeas and blend, slowly adding the ice cold water as you go. The colder temperature helps hold the hummus together. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides. 
• (Note: the temperature of the hummus should not exceed 5°C during the mixing process.) 
• Once the hummus is smooth, transfer to a bowl. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of dill, parsley and sumac. 

More Info:

This recipe is so versatile. You can add beetroot instead of roast pumpkin, take out the chickpeas and replace them with white beans, add fresh herbs or different spices, just to name a few ideas. Hummus is a great dish to start experimenting with and have a go at getting creative. Use this recipe as a guide and see what crazy concoctions you can create. 

When you cook your chickpeas, you will get a better flavour compared to when you use chickpeas from a can. We understand that it can take some time, but we believe it is well worth the effort. 

Depending on the sweetness of the pumpkin you can add a dash of maple syrup or sweetener of choice to enhance the flavour.