I always buy chickpeas dried rather than tinned because they seem to taste better when you soak and cook them yourself. This does mean I’m missing out on the ‘chickpea juice egg replacer’ that’s getting lots of attention (Google ‘chickpea juice recipes’). The other downside is that I can’t spontaneously whip up a batch of hummus, one of my favourite dips. Too often I go to make a batch and then realise I forgot to soak the chickpeas overnight.

This week, once again unprepared for an impromptu batch of hummus, I discovered a recipe without chickpeas. I’m sharing it here. This recipe uses sweet potatoes (known as kumara in New Zealand) for the base.

Sweet potatoes pack a nutritional punch. They’re full of beta-carotene which is known for its anti-viral, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Beta-carotene is also important for healthy bones and vision. As if that wasn’t reason enough to feast on sweet potatoes then consider that they’re also high in iron, fibre, potassium and zinc.

I’ve been picking up bargain sweet potatoes for 99c a kilo as part of Harris Farm’s ‘imperfect picks’ a range that offers fruits and vegetables at a fraction of the standard price – just because the colour, size or shape may be slightly unusual. So of course I had a couple to hand for this hummus.

Sweet potato hummus (gluten free & paleo)

This recipe is so simple and it keeps well for a few days, stored in a glass jar, in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sweet potato (around one medium sweet potato)
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4  to 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Peel and cube the sweet potato. Cook it in a pan of boiling water until it’s soft enough to blend but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
2. Add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin salt and chilli to a blender along with the cooled sweet potato.
3. Blend whilst gradually adding the olive oil. Add the water as required to loosen the hummus and to achieve the right consistency.

Serve with extra olive oil, flat breads, lamb or anything else that pairs well with conventional chickpea hummus.

By Laura (Feast Wisely)

You may also like:

• Dukkah – with pistachios & macadamia nuts
• Kale pesto – with or without nuts
• Parsnip hummus (GF)
• Ricotta – salted & whipped into a citrus dip
• Salsa verde with mint, basil & parsley
• Spicy plum sauce
• Spinach & feta cheese dip
• Tomato kasundi – packed with superfoods