Beetroot Hummus to Jazz Up Any Party

Every week, we spotlight a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, blogger and cookbook author Donal Skehan whips up an easy twist on hummus that’ll have party guests raving.

Photo: Donal Skehan

By Donal Skehan

Choosing recipes that are easy to prepare, can be made ahead, and taste fantastic is an important part of a successful celebration feast. This beetroot hummus is a great example of this. The humble beetroot can be transformed into something quite unusual with tastes from the Middle East and served as a dip with homemade flatbreads.

Beetroot Hummus With Homemade Flatbread
Serves 6

For the beetroot hummus:
4 beetroot, cooked and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, plus extra to drizzle
1 tablespoon of tahini
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste
Sea salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds, toasted, to serve

For the flatbreads:
500 gram (4 cups) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
2 ¼-ounces packets of easy blend dried yeast
1 teaspoon of sea salt, plus extra to sprinkle
2 tablespoons of nigella seeds or poppyseeds
350 milliliters (1 ½ cups) of tepid water
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling
1 egg, lightly beaten
Dried polenta, to sprinkle

For the beetroot hummus:
Reserving a small handful of beetroot, blitz all the ingredients except for the sesame seeds together in a food processor until smooth. Season with sea salt and black pepper and add a little more lemon juice to taste if required. Spoon into a serving bowl. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses, chopped beetroot and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

For the flatbreads:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, easy blend yeast, salt, and seeds. Make a well in the flour and pour in the water, honey, and olive oil. Using your fingertips, slowly bring the flour in from the sides and continue to mix until a rough dough forms.

Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add a little extra flour until it becomes smooth. Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel or cling film and set aside in a warm spot for about 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Punch the dough down on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 to 12 pieces and roll out into rounds as thinly as possible. Sprinkle polenta onto a baking sheet or pizza stone, which has been preheated in the oven, and place a flat bread on it. Brush with a little beaten egg and bake in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until puffed up and golden. Repeat with the remaining dough and keep warm before serving with the beetroot hummus to dip.

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