HUMMUS BI TAHINI WITH ROASTED CARROTS

SERVES 8 TO 10

No mezze table is complete without hummus, but I tend to find hummus a tad boring – and I don’t do boring! Traditionally, dried chickpeas are soaked overnight in tepid water to make hummus, but it seems to be much easier and quicker to open a can. I have come up with three different versions of this dish that I have used for many years. Hope you enjoy them too – they sure add a splash of colour to the table. 6-8 medium carrots

Olive oil to roast

Maldon salt to roast

400g can of chickpeas (240g drained) 3 large cloves garlic, crushed

120g tahini

60ml (4 tbsp) fresh lemon juice

A pinch (¼ tsp) ground cumin

60ml (4 tbsp) olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the carrots and cut them into smaller chunks if necessary. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Drain the chickpeas, retaining some of the liquid, and place in a food processor. Peel the garlic and add to the chickpeas, along with the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, oil and carrots, and blend to a smooth purée, adding some of the liquid from the chickpeas, a drizzle at a time, to get a smooth consistency. If need be, you can add a little cold water to get to the correct consistency.

Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve on a mezze platter.

CHEF’S TIPS

• During cookery classes in my home kitchen, I have also made this recipe with roasted beetroot, although the carrot version remains my favourite. To prepare the beets, peel and cut into quarters. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt. Roast in the oven at 180°C until the beets are soft and slightly caramelised around the edges. Add these to the food processor when making the hummus.

• Another version is to use baby spinach leaves or raw kale, and add that to the food processor before blending all the ingredients together.