This week’s Food Matters Project challenge couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.  Erin of Naturally Ella chose Hummus, Served Hot, which is exactly what it sounds like.  Make sure to head over to Naturally Ella to see the original recipe.

I had the pleasure of taking a fabulous Lebanese Cuisine cooking class last week at PCC Natural Markets and was inspired to adapt a dish that was taught in the class.  The instructor was Sureyya Gokeri, an amazing cook and even more wonderful person.  Sureyya’s food is truly an extension of her warm, inviting and spicy personality.  She introduced us to a new and exciting type of Hummus called “Farak Hummus”, or Yam Hummus.

Like most westerners, when I think hummus, I think beans, specifically garbanzo beans. Or maybe even Fava beans.  But not just potatoes and definitely not sweet potatoes.  What a great surprise!  The texture was similar to garbanzo bean hummus and the flavor profile was bold and interesting with just the right kick.

Seriously delicious and addictive!

Since this week’s challenge is for Hummus Served Hot, I decided to adapt Sureyya’s Farak Hummus recipe, lighten it up just a bit and serve it hot with our dinner of Lebanese Spiced Shrimp and Grilled Asparagus.  It was so delicious and so different than how we usually eat hummus or sweet potatoes; it was almost like being introduced to a new food.

I highly recommend you try this! I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty interesting and diverse week in terms of creativity - click here to check out with all the other Food Matters participants made!

NOTES:

  • I subbed Sweet Potatoes for Yams because they have a lower Points Plus value.  If you do buy Yams instead of Sweets, make sure to adjust the Points.
Farak Hummus, Served Hot
 
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3 Points Plus Per Serving — Recipe Makes Approximately 14 Servings — Individual Serving is ¼ Cup
By,:
Serves:: 14

Ingredients
  • 2.5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ⅓ to ½ cup water, as needed
  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • parsley, chopped for serving

Instructions
  1. Round up your ingredients.
  2. Roughly chop some fresh parsley and set aside.
  3. Peel the sweet potatoes and evenly cube them. I cut each potato into half lengthwise and then each half into quarters. It is not important how you cut them as much as it is that the cubes are the same size so the potatoes cook evenly.
  4. Place a steamer insert or basket into a large pot and fill with just enough water so that it is about ½” below bottom of steamer. Toss in 1 to 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Place potatoes in steamer. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Add garlic cloves to bowl of food processor. Process until finely chopped.
  6. Add potatoes and process until smooth, slowly adding water as needed.
  7. Add all remaining ingredients except parsley and pulse until blended together.
  8. Transfer to a small pot and simmer on low until ready to serve.
  9. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and pita bread. Some additional serving ideas include as a side dish, as a spread in a wrap or sandwich, or as a dip for vegetables. I served this as a dip for pita and also as a bed for Spiced Grilled Shrimp and veggies. Enjoy!

 Adapted From PCC Cooks, “Lebanese Cuisine by Sureyya Gokeri”

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