My savory pumpkin hummus tastes wonderfully creamy and spicy.
Soak chickpeas overnight or better for 24 hours with double amount of cold water.
The next day, be sure to drain the Soaked Water in a colander and rinse the chickpeas under clear water.
Place in a pot with fresh water and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Strain the water and remove the skins from the chickpeas. I know it's a bit of a hassle, but you'll be rewarded with a fine creamy result at the end.
Preheat oven to 200 °C.
Slice butternut squash and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Since it contains only a few seeds, you can simply scoop them out when you get to the end.
Add the garlic cloves in their skins to the baking tray.
Bake for 20 minutes and then let them cool down.
Set garlic cloves aside for later.
Peel the skin off the squash and discard.
Puree pumpkin with a blender.
For the pumpkin hummus, measure out 500g and if there is any of the pumpkin puree left over, simply freeze in a container in the freezer.
Place tahini and lemon juice in a blender with the spices and blend until creamy, a adding the ice cubes a bit at a time.
Add the pumpkin puree, cooked and peeled chickpeas, the grilled and peeled garlic and puree until fine.
You can press the finished pumpkin hummus through a sieve for an even finer texture.
Peel and slice garlic cloves and fry in a little olive oil until crispy.
Put the pumpkin hummus in a bowl and draw a circle on it with the back of a spoon.
Drizzle with high quality olive oil and spread the crispy garlic cloves over the top.
My savory pumpkin hummus tastes wonderfully creamy and spicy and is perfect with falafel, as a spread, as a vegetable dip for sheet pan veggies or simply on its own with freshly baked pita bread, nan-e taftoon, lavash or a baguette.