Artichoke and dill hummus with cumin-spiced peas
Dip-for-dinner is an excellent repertoire dish, where the dip is the centrepiece of a meal, and everything else just slots around it. For dip to count as a meal, it needs to have body and depth of flavour. It should confidently carry the meal, and it must be so delicious that it demands you have bread on the side to mop up every last lashing. This artichoke and dill dip fits the bill.
Artichokes are tangy and earthy and work wonderfully well in a dip setting – afterall, spinach and artichoke dip is a classic for a reason. Add a handful of dill for grassy goodness and don’t discard the brine, a little will go into the dip to loosen it up and amplify the artichoke flavour.
Turn this (or any) dip into a meal by topping with your choice of veggies. Roasted potatoes would go nicely here, as would charred broccoli or grilled eggplant. Here, I’ve gone with peas, the frozen ones, because I’ve always been really obsessed with them, and you will always find a bag in my freezer. Throw them into a skillet, with garlic, a heap of cumin seeds, salt them well, and you have a deeply accented topping for your dip. Serve with sourdough or flatbread to mop up every lashing. If you are looking for something heartier, enjoy with jammy or fried eggs.
Artichoke and dill hummus with cumin-spiced peas
Ingredients
- 1 (400g / 14-ounces) can artichoke hearts in brine, drained with liquid reserved
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 120 g tahini paste
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, from ½ large lemon
- 30 g dill, roughly chopped, plus more to serve
- ½ tsp sea salt
- black pepper
- flatbread or bread, to serve
Cumin spiced peas
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 2-3 tsp cumin seeds
- 200 g frozen peas, thawed for 20-30 minutes
- ½ - ¾ tsp sea salt
- black pepper
- ¼ tsp red chilli pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add the artichokes to a food processor or a high speed blender, along with the garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, and dill. Add ¼ cup of the artichoke brine (or water) and blend until smooth, 1-3 minutes (depending upon how powerful your blender is). Check the consistiency – it should resemble the thickness of hummus, and spreadable. If too thick, add some more of the artichoke brine or water. Add sea salt and black pepper and check seasonings, adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice as required.
- Heat a medium skillet (frying pan) on medium. When hot, add olive oil along with garlic, cumin seeds and peas. Add sea salt and black pepper and toss the peas for 2-3 minutes, until the peas are tender. Add the red chilli flakes and stir. Taste and adjust salt and pepper until it is to your liking.
- To serve, spread the artichoke and dill dip on a plate and top with peas. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of dill. Serve with bread.
