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Rose Harissa Roasted Carrots over Hummus

A delicious appetizer, feel free to make this as a dinner for a meatless evening. The toasted nuts add crunch and protein, the carrots are perfectly spiced and sweetened with the citrus, and the hummus is the creamiest you'll ever try.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword carrots, hummus, pine nuts, rose harissa
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Soaking time 8 hours
Servings 4

Ingredients

Hummus

  • 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini light roast
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed, cut into pieces
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • 1 pinch salt to taste
  • 1 dash good-quality olive oil to serve (optional)

Carrots

  • 1 lb baby carrots or 450 grams, peeled, and cut in half if thick, You want them all to be of similar thickness for even roasting
  • 2 medium clementines peeled and segmented (see Notes)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or 55 grams
  • 1 tsp rose harissa
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts see Notes

Instructions

Hummus

  1. The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave them to soak overnight.
  2. The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.
  3. Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3 2/3 cups now. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine still running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about five minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste. Feel free to add a bit more water if you desire a looser consistency.
  4. Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using straightaway, refrigerate until needed. Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Optionally, to serve, top with a layer of good quality olive oil. This hummus will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Carrots

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  2. Toss the peeled carrots and clementines on a baking sheet that will hold them all in one layer with the olive oil. Make sure everything is evenly coated.
  3. Sprinkle all the spices and seasonings over the carrots and clementines and toss well. Spread them out in one layer.
  4. Roast until the carrots are tender and turning a lovely burnished colour. Test after 20 minutes, you don't want to over roast or burn them.
  5. While the carrots are roasting, toast the nuts in a medium skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat till fragrant and turning golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Toss them regularly to avoid scorching. Transfer to a bowl to keep until needed.

Assemble

  1. Spread the hummus on a serving platter or onto individual plates. Place the carrots over the hummus, drizzling any remaining oil over everything. Feel free to supplement with a good dipping olive oil if more is desired.
  2. Scatter the pine nuts over everything. Serve with crackers, lavash, naan or pita.

Recipe Notes

If the hummus seizes or stiffens up in the fridge, feel free to thin out with a bit of water and lemon juice if desired. Feel free to make a half batch if so desired.   The hummus is the recipe found in the Jerusalem cookbook.
The clementines are optional if you can't source them depending on the season. But they really do add a lovely tart sweetness.