Since you can not buy neither go to the Lebanese to have some, you have to learn how to make it on your own. Luckily! Hummus is a rare treat at my place. Except if you’re in Ljubljana and you go to the best Falafel in the town. Anyway, apart from a classic, a sweet potato hummus is a must.

Everyone is talking about superfood these days. But they are leaving out one of the most important ones. Chickpeas are a great source of protein and carbs to give you energy. They have a low glycemic index (which is great for diabetics) and are rich in fibers. Normally making hummus from the scratch involves soaking the chickpea for couple of hours, but if you’re in a rush, the canned one will do either.
And what’s the trick to make a really silky and smooth hummus? According to Jerusalem, after soaking, the drained chickpeas should be sautéed with baking soda for a few minutes, before dumping in the water to cook them through.

Why sweet potato? It adds a nice flavor… It must be the sweetness. My grandma was always saying that adding something sweet to your vegetable dishes will enhance the flavors. I has a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes – around 50, more fibre and there’s approx 23 g of carbs in 100 g of sweet potato. There are many different varieties, but normally you’ll find purple, white or orange sweet potatoes. I like the orange ones the best, but it’s true that the choice depends on the purpose and preparation.

Cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) are often confused with caraway (Carum carvi). In slovenian cumin stands for carvi. So the real cumin is something that is hard to find here. I always get mine when traveling. In hummus you need to add the real cumin seeds. I’m also using black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa) to garnish which are actually not related to cumin.

Ingredients:

• 1 big sweet potato (approx 200 g)
• 240 g chickpea
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 big tsp freshly ground cumin
• salt
• pepper
• black cumin seed and olive oil to garnish

Preparation:

1. Cut sweet potato in two, add some oil, salt, pepper. Bake in skins at 220°c until soften.
2. This step only if using dried chickpeas
3. Remove potatoes from skins.
4. Put all ingredients in food processor and mix at high speed.
5. Transfer in a large bowl, make a hole for olive oil and garnish with black cumin seed.
6. Serve with pita bread or wholegrain sesame crackers. Carrots work well too.