Recipes

Fermented Squash, Sweet Potato, and Sesame Dip

  • Serves

    makes 3 1/2 Cups

HEAMI LEE

“This is a nod to tahini dip, done in a way where you also get sweet and sour flavors from fresh and fermented vegetables,” Burns says. “The sesame helps emulsify, and lemon juice, garlic, and spices lend a little acid and heat.” If you have another fermented vegetable on hand, you can substitute all fresh squash and use the lacto-brine from that vegetable in place of or in addition to the lemon juice.

Featured in: A Living Larder: The Joys of Fermentation »

What You Will Need

Ingredients

  • 34 lb. peeled fresh butternut squash (about 2¼ cups), cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 14 lb. sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
  • 4 whole garlic cloves
  • 34 lb. butternut squash (about 2¼ cups), fermented for 2 weeks in the Base Brine
  • 14 cup (2 ½ oz.) sesame tahini
  • 2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 34 tsp. curry powder
  • 12 tsp. amchoor powder (green mango powder) or lemon powder, or substitute finely grated lemon zest
  • 12 tsp. onion powder
  • 12 tsp. hot paprika or cayenne
  • 14 tsp. fennel pollen
  • 14 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Seed Crackers or crudités to serve

Instructions

Step 1

Set up a steamer over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the fresh squash, sweet potato, and garlic; cover and cook until tender, 20–25 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer the steamed vegetables and the fermented squash to the bowl of a food processor and set aside to cool slightly (about 5 minutes). Add the tahini, lemon juice, curry powder, amchoor, onion powder, paprika, and fennel pollen and pulse to combine. Slowly drizzle in the oil while pureéing the mixture to make a smooth, emulsified paste. Add a bit of warm water or more lemon juice to taste if needed to thin the dip slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if desired, and let cool to room temperature.

Step 3

Serve with seeded crackers or crudités.

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