This popular appetizer from the Middle East is a sort of sweet-tasting hummus, in which winter squash substitutes for chickpeas. This recipe is an adaptation of one by the cookbook author Clifford A. Wright.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds winter squash, like butternut
  • cup sesame tahini, stirred if the oil has separated out
  • 2 large garlic cloves, halved, with green shoots removed
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
  • Pomegranate seeds for garnish
  • extra virgin olive oil for garnish
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

      439 calories; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 69 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

About 3 1/2 cups

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and brush lightly with olive oil. If using butternut squash, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy membranes, and lay cut-side down on the foil-covered baking sheet. If using a thick slice of squash, scrape off any membranes. Bake 45 minutes to one hour, or until very soft. A knife should cut through it without resistance, and the skin should be wrinkled. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then peel and transfer to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the tahini, and puree until smooth and creamy.
  2. Combine the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle, and mash to a paste. Add to the food processor along with the lemon juice and cumin, and blend together. Add salt to taste.
  3. Mound the puree in a wide bowl or on a plate. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top, and garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve with warm pita bread.
  • Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but it will stiffen up, so you may want to process again and thin out with a little more tahini or olive oil before serving. Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

one hour

Dining and Cooking