Pumpkin and Chickpea Spread

Ingredients

• 500 g pumpkin flesh
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 can/250 g cooked chickpeas
• squeeze of lemon/lime (optional)
• 2-3 spring onions
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Chop the pumpkin into cubes (about 4- 5 cm) and grind the garlic, spices and salt together with a mortar and pestle.

Put the pumpkin on a baking tray and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, sprinkle over the spice mixture and mix everything together. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and starting to brown.

Then put the pumpkin along with any spices in the baking tray and the drained chickpeas in a food processor and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and blend together. You can mash them in a bowl if you don’t have a food processor.

Check the consistency you may need to add a drizzle of water to loosen the mixture a little but if you plan to use it as a spread then it shouldn’t be sloppy. If you plan to use t as a dip then add a little more water until you get the consistency you want. Taste and add a little more salt if necessary, if you like you can squeeze in a little lemon or lime.

Then dry roast the sesame seeds and chop up the spring onions. Mix most of these into the spread by hand reserving some to garnish the dish with.

Spoon into a bowl and garnish with the remaining sesame seeds and onions.