Yellow beet hummus with dukkah

I had a few extra cooked yellow beets from a dish I made the other day and thought they would be interesting in a homemade hummus. I looked online for inspiration and found a recipe by Nigel Slater for red beet hummus with dukkah, an aromatic Egyptian spice blend made with chopped nuts, seeds and spices that has many uses in middle eastern cooking. I thought I could make the recipe with yellow beets, and although the colour did not wow me (I expected brighter yellow), the flavours were there and it turned into a nice dish.

The dukkah adds lightly pungent flavour and crunchy texture to the mild and creamy hummus. I also drizzled a couple of spoons of parsley pesto, just because I always have it in the fridge and it’s very versatile. I am going to serve the hummus with a few other summer dishes for dinner tonight when our daughter Jade arrives for a few days visit. One thing I didn’t get to today is making home made Israeli style pita bread. The pita breads we buy here leave a lot to be desired, especially when you know what they should be like from the source. I will settle for store bought pita bread, cut into wedges to serve.

This would be nice as a part of appetizers selection, served with olives, vegetables sticks, a few pickles vegetables etc. You know what to do.

Enjoy.

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Ingredients:

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Yellow beet hummus

 

4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (can use 2 cans)
3 small yellow beets, cooked and drained.
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1 teaspoon salt, more as needed
2 tablespoons tahini
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

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Directions:

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Place the chickpeas, beets and garlic in a food processor and blend.

Add the tahini and a little water, one spoon at a time, and blend until it reaches a smooth texture.

Remove top a bowl, add lemon juice, salt and the olive oil and blend them in.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Keep refrigerated until needed.

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Dukkah:

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1/2 cup hazelnuts, whole
1/2 cup almonds, whole and peeled
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons dried thyme

Toast the hazelnuts in a skillet until fragrant and beginning to turn golden.
Remove from pan and wrap in a kitchen towels and rub to remove as much skin as easily comes off.

Toast the skinned almonds until beginning to turn golden.

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds until they are warm and aromatic, then add the sesame seeds and toast until golden.

Place nuts and seeds in a food processor (or you can use mortar and pestle) and pulse until a coarse mixture is formed, not a powder though.

Remove to a bowl and add salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Let cool, then spoon into a glass jar, close and keep until needed.

This mixture is quite versatile and adds a touch of crunchiness and spice to many foods.You can add a little olive oil to it and use as a dip or a spread, for tossing with cooked green or yellow beans, for serving with steamed or roasted carrots with yogurt and more.

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To Serve:

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Spoon the hummus into the center of a plate and with the back of a spoon smear it around the plate, thicker along the edges.
Drizzle olive oil over and let it collect in the indentations that formed.
spoon a little parsley pesto if you have it.
Spoon the dukkah along one side of the plate.
Scatter a few whole chickpeas over.
Sprinkle paprika over.
Garnish with micro-greens or parsley.

Serve with pita wedges.

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