Garlic & Thyme Yam Fries

Garlic & thyme yam fries served with hummus and a salad, and in fact any fries with hummus, are my jam. There is just something about the combination of a crispy chip with creamy hummus that I find very comforting. When dining out with friends, more often than not, I usually suggest a mediterranean restaurant because I always find a few plant based vegan options on the menu.  Due to flatbreads rarely being gluten free, I substitute flatbread for chips with my hummus. This recipe brings the Mediterranean and West Africa together as the chips are made with puna yam, which was featured in my yam crisps & dip recipe.

Garlic & thyme fries made for sharing

This yam fries & hummus platter is definitely made for sharing, but it can also serve one person who’s really hungry. The hummus recipe yields about five servings and can last a good week in the fridge. This means that the hummus can feature in other meals such as a spread on a sandwiches, accompany roast vegetables, or eaten with tortilla chips as a dip.

The seasoning for the fries is a mix of fresh thyme, garlic powder, avocado or any neutral oil, sea salt and crushed black pepper. For the thyme, six to seven sprigs should yield about two tablespoons, which is enough to season the fries. When it comes to the spice mix for the fries, use quantities that suit your personal taste. The recipe is a guide and there are no hard and fast rules here.

A simple salads freshens up the plate

A salad with hummus is actually a great option and in this recipe the yam chips & hummus are served with a simple Mediterranean salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives and fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves. The salad dressing is also quite simple using only olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt or, as an alternative to salt, lemon juice. Either option works here. The goal is simplicity.

• To prepare the salad, simply slice cherry tomatoes in half.
• Peel and slice the cucumber in to large dices. You can also lave the skin on if using English cucumbers or if you prefer to leave the skin on in general. Leaving on the skin of cucumbers does brighten up the salad even more.
• Place the tomatoes and cucumbers in a bowl, add in whole olives, black or green or a mix. Both work!
• Add in some cilantro leaves, pour in the simple salad dressing, give the ingredients a good mix and your salad is done

As with all other recipes on this blog you will find that this garlic & thyme yam fries and hummus recipe is;

• Plant based
• Vegan
• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Soy free
• Egg-free
• Refined sugar-free
• Easy to make
• Uses simple ingredients
• Mediterranean cuisine
• Middle Eastern cuisine

If you try out this recipe definitely let me know by tagging #PFFPlate on social media. It would be great to see all your interpretations of this recipe. Substitute the yam in this recipe for sweet potatoes or any good baking potato if preferred and dial up or dial down the spices in the hummus. I always go for adding extra lemon juice as citrus brings the flavours together. Adding other ingredients such as steamed beets, roasted carrots, or hot peppers to the hummus creates more variations of the same base recipe and variety in colour. Again there are no hard or fast rules when it comes to making this  yam chips & hummus platter.

Print Recipe

Garlic & Thyme Yam Fries and Hummus

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

Garlic & Thyme Yam Chips

¼ medium white puna yam

1 tbs cornstarch

2 tsp garlic powder

6 - 7 sprigs fresh thyme or 3 tbsp dried (save extra for garnish)

3 tbs avocado oil (or any neutral oil)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp crushed black pepper

Extra ½ tsp sea salt and 1 tsp rosemary for post bake sprinkling (optional)

Hummus

1 cup dry chickpeas cooked (or 2 cans chickpeas)

¼ cup water

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp tahini

3 garlic cloves

1½  tbsp smoked paprika (extra for sprinkling)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Salad

½ cup cherry tomatoes

¼ medium cucumber

¼ cup pitted olives, black or green

Small bunch fresh cilantro (coriander)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pinch sea salt

Instructions

Garlic & Thyme Yam Chips

• Preheat oven to 200C/420F
• Cut the yam into round 1 inch slices and peel off the skin
• Take each 1 inch slice and slice it into thin chips. Once sliced place the chip slices back into the cold bowl of water and leave them to soak for at least 20 mins
• Drain the water from yam slices and place them in a pot of hot water and boil for 2 -3 minutes 
• Remove from the pan and drain the water. Lay them on a flat surface and dry them off by dabbing with paper towel
• If using fresh ingredients - peel and crush the garlic, de-stem and chop the fresh thyme
• Place the yam into a large bowl, add the avocado oil and chopped garlic, toss to combine
• Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; rosemary, salt, black pepper, cornstarch and mix together thoroughly
• Sprinkle the spice mix in batches into the bowl with the yam slices and toss to combine. Repeat the process until all the dry spices are mixed in and well distributed. Let the yam and seasoning sit in the bowl for 10 minutes
• Lay the yam chips in a single layer on a lined baking tray
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes
• In a bowl, mix the extra rosemary, then once baked, remove the chips from the oven, place them in a serving dish, sprinkle extra seasoning as needed while they are still hot and serve

Hummus

• If  using dry chickpeas, cook according to instructions, drain and rinse. Fo a smoother hummus, peel off the skins before continuing (optional step)
• Add all the ingredients, except the olive oil and water, into a food processor or blender and purée the ingredients, slowly pour in the water and continue blending and then pour in the oil and blend until smooth
• Adjust seasonings as needed

Salad

• Slice the cherry tomatoes in half or quarters, depending on their size
• Cut the cucumber into cubes
• Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and cilantro leaves in a bowl, pour over the  olive  oil and sprinkle with salt (or lemon if using)