Sesame Squash Dip

Another symbolic food that is eaten on Rosh Hashana is gourd or squash. The hebrew word is kara which is similar to the hebrew word for torn and proclaim. We are praying that our bad decrees be torn up and that our merits be proclaimed before god.

It’s fitting that Rosh Hashana usually coincides with the start of Fall, the time of year that squash and pumpkin are consumed in great amounts (not including pumpkin spice lattes) 

The idea for this dip came from the concept of hummus which is chickpeas blended with tahini paste. There are many posts all over the internet for all different types of “hummus”, but many of them don’t even have any chickpeas in them so there not really hummus. This dip has all the same ingredients as hummus, but I replaced the chickpeas with roasted squash so I will not be calling this hummus. It’s a great served with pita chips or pretzels and vegetable sticks, or spread on challah at your Rosh Hashana meal. 

Whatever you want to call it, it’s still delicious and a great way to enjoy pumpkin this season without any pie spice. 

May our bad decrees be torn up and our merits be proclaimed before god. 

Sesame Squash Dip 

1 lb. squash/pumpkin, peeled

1/2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 

2 Tbs tahini paste

2 tsp lemon juice 

3 Tbs olive oil 

salt and pepper 

2-3 Tbs water 

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 Tbs pomegranate seeds 

cilantro 

Heat your oven to 400°F/200°C and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 

Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Roast for about 20 minutes until the edges are golden and the squash is tender. Remove the oven and allow the squash to cool. 

Place garlic in a food process and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the rest of the ingredients  except for the water. Blend all the ingredients together and then slowly stream in the water until you have a smooth and creamy consistency check for seasoning and add more spices or lemon if needed. 

Pour the puree into a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and top with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.