On the themes of both autumn and non-chickpea hummus-adjacent spreads, I present kabocha hummus, one of the many fine uses for kabocha purée. As I stated in my baba ghanoush recipe, chickpeas/garbanzo beans (Japanese: hiyokomame, ひよこ豆) are relatively expensive in Japan, so I’ve been trying to less expensive chickpea alternatives. If chickpeas are cheap where you live, consider this recipe an interesting seasonal twist on a classic.

I served my kabocha hummus with whole-wheat crackers and crusty bread at a party, but you could eat it on or in pita; spread it on bagels or bread; or dip raw vegetables in it. The recipe is gluten-free and vegan; if canned or pureéd pumpkin is easier to purchase, you could substitute that. While making the purée takes some time (~40-60 minutes, depending on the cooking method), the actual prep time on this recipe is very low as you’re just processing together soft ingredients and herbs.

Kabocha Hummus
Adapted from “Pumpkin Hummus” on Cooking Light.

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes (if purée is premade)
Yields ~450 grams (~2 US cups/ 480 mL) hummus

Ingredients
~425 g (~15 oz/ 1.75 US cups) kabocha purée or pumpkin purée
2 TBSP (~35 g / 1.2 oz) white sesame paste or tahini (shiro nerigoma, 白ねりゴマ/白練りごま)
2 TSBP fresh lemon juice (remon, レモン)
1 tsp olive oil (orîbu oiru, オリーブオイル)
2 cloves garlic (ninniku, ニンニク)
3/4 tsp salt (shio, 塩)
1 tsp cumin (kumin, クミン)
1/4 tsp paprika, plus extra for garnish (papurika, パプリカ)
Optional: roasted kabocha/squash seeds for garnish*

Equipment
Blender (mikisâ, ミキサー)
OR food processor (fûdo purosessa, フードプロセッサ)

Procedure
1. Combine all non-garnish ingredients in food processor or blender.
2. Mix until garlic is pureed and all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Garnish with paprika and (optional) pumpkin/squash seeds.
4. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Freezes well.

Note

*After you clean and dry the seeds, roast them in your fish griller in the gas range with a little margarine (for vegans) or butter and salt. Or bake in your oven for 25 minutes at 160° C (325° F). See details on oven-roasting and cleaning the seeds here.

Nutritional Information

Hummus only. Whole recipe contains