Roast pumpkin in hummus is a revelation. It brings a slight sweetness and creamy texture that is so delicious with the feta and pine nuts. I have also made this with a spicy ajvar (a Bulkan roast capsicum paste) instead of the tahini and it was incredible. Simply omit the tahini and use 1/3 cup of ajvar instead, then sprinkle the top with smoked paprika instead of the sumac. I started off serving this as part of a mezze in my cooking classes and now I cook it at home all the time too.
What you’ll need:
600 gm butternut pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp raw sugar
6 garlic cloves, skin on
¼ cup olive oil, divided
400 gm can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbs hulled tahini
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs pine nuts, toasted
50 gm Persian feta, drained
Sumac, for sprinkling
Warm yoghurt flatbreads, to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
What to do:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Place the pumpkin and garlic on a large baking tray and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the sugar over the pumpkin. Roast for 25 minutes until golden and tender, remove the skins from garlic and discard. Add the pumpkin and roasted garlic to a blender along with the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and remaining olive oil and blend until smooth. Thin out with a little water if it’s too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to your serving dish. Crumble feta on top, sprinkle with pine nuts and sumac and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with warm yoghurt flatbreads.
