Kara'a (Libyan Pumpkin Dip) is a traditional Libyan recipe for a classic dip of mashed pumpkin with chilli, lemon juice and olive oil that's served with pita breads. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Libyan version of: Libyan Pumpkin Dip (Kara'a).
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This is a Libyan-style mezze dish of spiced, mashed, pumpkin that's typically served with hot, griddled, pita bread.
Ingredients:
450g pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and sliced into 3cm cubes
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
80ml extra-virgin olive oil pita breads, to serve
Method:
Place the pumpkin in a saucepan along with 160ml water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain the pumpkin then return the flesh to the pan. Season thoroughly with salt and freshly-ground black pepper then mash with a fork until smooth then set aside.
In the meantime, dry roast the caraway and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until aromatic. Tip into a mortar and crush the toasted seeds then add the garlic, chilli and a pinch of salt. Mash to a smooth paste then add to the pumpkin mash along with the lemon juice. Stir to combine then blend in the olive oil.
This dip can be served either hot or cold, accompanied by hot, griddled pita breads.
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