Red Lentils and Sweet Potatoes Hummus

3 years ago the Lebanese government tried to make a copyright claim over hummus accusing Israelis to have ursuped "It".

When I was a kid, I lived part-time at my grand-father's, the flats in his tower block were occupied mainly by immigrants. Muslim and Jewish families were for ever lending a helping hand to one another and hummus would travel up and down the stairs carried by the likes of us (the little ones) as a thank you token. Therefore the whole incident of claiming hummus as one country's property strikes me as bizarre since hummus has been part of middle eastern meals for centuries.

I was reflecting on that the other day whilst try out a new kind of hummus made with red lentils and sweet potatoes. It is obviously different but as good as. It is also an excellent alternative to the real thing so may be we should put this one forward as the real hummus, would not help peace in the middle-east but at least it would stop silly arguments.

Red Lentils and Sweet Potatoes Hummus

Ingredients
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks• 250g  red lentils
• 1/4 fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)• 2 or 3 T Tahiti• 2 T olive oil• 2 t ground cumin• 1 garlic clove, chopped• Coarse salt and pepper
• paprika (optional)• Pita bread and/or veggies, for serving

Method
Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add sweet potatoes, garlic,  cumin and paprika and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Stir in water to cover and lentils and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until lentils and sweet potatoes are soft, 15 to 18 minutes and you get a sort of "mush" 
Transfer contents of pot to a large bowl and set aside to let cool. 
Once cooled transfer the mixture to a food processor add tahini and juice of lemon mix
Serve  sprinkled with paprika and  warm pita bread on the side