Recipe: Breadfruit Hummus & Falafel

This recipe, by "Team Waipa," the grand prize-winner of the 2009 Kauai Breadfruit Bounty Cookoff, appears in the book "Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu Cookbook: Breadfruit Tips, Techniques, and Hawai'i's Favorite Home Recipes," a project of Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network and Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, who proclaim, "Anything you can do with potato, you can do with breadfruit … better."

"Serve this hummus and falafel with Middle Eastern side dishes, such as dolmas, tabouli, marinated tomatoes, olives, and pita bread." 

Breadfruit Hummus & Falafel

Ingredients:

4 cups immature (green) 'ulu, cooked until tender, and peeled and cored
2 lemons, juiced
6-8 cloves garlic
2 Tbls. soy sauce
2 Tbls. Bragg's liquid aminos
3 Tbls. sesame oil
3 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. cumin
4 Tbls. parsley, fresh or dried
4 Tbls. sesame butter (tahini)
Salt, pepper and chili flakes, to taste
1 cup water
Vegetable oil (for frying falafel)

Instructions:

For hummus:

• Combine all ingredients except water in a food processor and blend until creamy.
• Reserve ½ of mixture in a separate container for the falafel; keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• To remaining mixture, gradually add water in small portions while blending, until desired consistency is reached (we suggest about ¾ cup, depending on the texture of your 'ulu).
• Refrigerate until serving.

For falafel:

• Roll reserved hummus into bite-sized balls with your hands.
• Cover lightly in flour by rolling the balls on a floured plate. Deep fry until golden brown. 

Excerpted from "Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu Cookbook: Breadfruit Tips, Techniques, and Hawai'i's Favorite Home Recipes," published by Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network and Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Copyright 2012. Reprinted with permission.

To watch breadfruit preparation tips from chef Sam Choy, click on the video player below:

For more info:

• "Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu Cookbook: Breadfruit Tips, Techniques, and Hawai'i's Favorite Home Recipes" (CreateSpace) in Trade Paperback format, available via Amazon