Ajlouk el Qara'a, Tunisian Pumpkin Dip
Ajlouk is a family of Tunisian mashed-vegetable dips, and the pumpkin version is the coziest of them, all sweet squash against garlic, caraway, and chile. Steaming the squash keeps its flavor tight, and mashing it coarse rather than blending it smooth is deliberate, since ajlouk is meant to have texture. Where the traditional dip is loosened with olive oil, a single spoon of tahini brings the richness as a whole-food fat and helps spread the heat, and lemon seasons it in place of salt. Make it a day ahead if you can; it deepens overnight. Serve it cool as part of a mezze spread.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 cloves Garlic, grated
- 1 tsp Caraway, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp Coriander seed, toasted and ground
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- Steam the squash over simmering water until a knife slides through with no resistance, about 15 minutes. Steaming rather than boiling keeps the flesh from waterlogging, so the mash stays thick and its flavor stays concentrated instead of leaching into the pot.
- Tip the hot squash into a bowl and mash it with a fork to a coarse, spoonable texture, not a smooth puree. Ajlouk is meant to have a little body to it, closer to a rough dip than a silky one, so stop while some texture remains.
- Beat in the raw garlic, caraway, coriander, cayenne, and paprika while the squash is still warm. Warmth softens the garlic's raw bite and lets the toasted ground caraway bloom, and caraway is the note that marks this as Tunisian; it does the same work here that it does in the country's harissa.
- Work in the lemon juice and tahini. The tahini is a small amount of whole-food fat that gives the dip the richness olive oil usually would, and it also carries the chile heat across your tongue, while the lemon lifts the whole bowl in place of salt.
- Taste and adjust the lemon and cayenne, then scatter the parsley over. Serve at room temperature; it is even better the next day once the garlic and spice have settled into the squash.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
