Curry Spiced Sweet Potato Hummus
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: 12 minutes
If age is any indicator, hummus has been popular since at least the 13th century, where it was listed in an Egyptian cookbook. So as far as it being too exotic to cook, well, that’s really not the case. Hummus is a mix of pureed chickpeas, lemon juice and tahini-- which is just ground up sesame seeds that, fortunately for your brain, are full of zinc. Hummus is a great foundation for experimentation, and here I’ve pumped up the colors and flavors by introducing sweet potatoes topped with pomegranate seeds and mint. There’s an earthy, mellow taste to this creamy hummus that resonates on a deep level, with cumin, curry, and ginger spicing providing just the right level of ahhhhhh….
8 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Sea salt
1 cup cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (see Cook’s Notes), for garnish
1 tablespoon minced mint, for garnish
Set a steamer basket in a pot, then fill with enough water to hit just below the bottom of the basket. Add the sweet potatoes with a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and steam, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender.
In a bowl, mix the chickpeas with a spritz of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, 2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tahini, curry powder, cumin, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and water in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Taste; you may want to add a pinch more salt or squirt of lemon. Transfer to a small bowl and garnish with pomegranate seeds, mint, and a drizzle of olive oil.
COOK'S NOTES: Here’s a quick trick for removing pomegranate seeds from the fruit. Cut the pomegranate in half crosswise. Then, working over a large bowl, hold one half with the cut side facing down into the bowl. Give the uncut side of the fruit a few good whacks with the back of a large wooden spoon to release the seeds, letting them fall into the bowl. If no pomegranate seeds are available, then a drizzle of pomegranate molasses will do.
Served immediately, this hummus is smooth and dippable. After refrigerating, the potatoes soak up moisture and it becomes more of a spread.
Reprinted with permission from The Healthy Mind Cookbook Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
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