Pumpkin dip with tahina

Ingredients (4p)

For the dip:

• 400 g cooked pumpkin (600-700 g raw pumpkin)
• 1 g garlic (about 1 clove)
• 13 ml lemon juice
• 35 g tahina
• 27 ml of olive oil
• 3 g salt

For garnish:

• ¼ bunch of cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic
• Pinch of Aleppo pepper
• 8 ml olive oil

About Pumpkin dip with tahina

Actually, this is also a kind of moutabal (the eggplant dip). Nowadays this word is usually used to refer to the eggplant dip with yogurt, but m’tabale in Arabic actually just means to make something with a dressing. In this case, pumpkin. Seasoned with tahini and made even more delicious with a topping of coarsely chopped, fried cilantro and garlic.

How do you make it?

1. Pumpkin preparation:
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Halve the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Roast the pumpkin for about 30 minutes, until the flesh is soft. Scoop out the flesh from the skin.
3. Making dip:
4. Puree the pumpkin flesh in a food processor with the garlic, 27 ml olive oil, tahina and salt. Taste and season further if necessary.
5. Coriander and garlic:
6. Coarsely chop the cilantro. Thinly slice the remaining garlic. Heat the 8 ml olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic until golden brown and crispy. Add the cilantro and briefly let it shrink.
7. Serving:
8. Make a nice circle of the pumpkin dip on a platter. Spread the sautéed garlic and cilantro on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of Aleppo pepper and drizzle another bit of olive oil over the top.