Hello readers!!
The sporadic blogger is back with a brand new post going ga-ga over her
favorite season. We’re almost into winter here but let me say it….I love fall!! The
weather is just right – yeah spring is nice too, but fall is better. And oh the gorgeous leaves! As much as I
love flowers, I can’t get over the red, orange and yellow leaves all around.
Anyway, since
this space is all about food let’s get to the best thing about fall – all the
glorious vegetables! Fall is the time to bring home an assortment of pumpkins
and squashes – and it’s really difficult to not find something you like. Oh
well, as long as you like vegetables, you should find something you like. So
what’s on top of my list? Undoubtedly has to be butternut squash and that is
what this edition is going to be all about.
For the
uninitiated, butternut squash is a sibling of the pumpkin and has a mildly sweet taste. It is wonderfully adaptable since it
blends seamlessly into various cuisines. You can steam, roast or pan fry the squash,
use your choice of cooking fat, add meat or keep it meatless and season with all the
spices you care (or dare) to throw in.
What I have in
this post is a much loved Moroccan inspired Butternut Squash and
Chickpea Stew. It is a little sweet, a little spice and immensely flavorful.
The stew is pretty much a one pot meal and all it needs is a little bit of cous
cous (or rice) on the side to make a hearty and healthy meal. And if the
meat lover in you is skeptical about this one, I’d urge you to go ahead and try
it once. You won’t regret it. If you really just have to have some meat, I’d
suggest leaving the chickpeas aside and adding some lamb instead. The recipe
and cooking time will need some tweaking though.
Disclaimer –
This one is definitely not original. I first found something similar in Sally
Schneider’s ‘A New Way to Cook’. Additional inspiration came from one of my
favorite food blogs – Smitten Kitchen.
Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion,
18 ounces butternut
squash peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup chickpea cooking
liquid + ½ cup apple juice + water as required
1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
or canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1-2 tablespoons raisins
1 inch piece fresh
ginger, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic,
minced
1 medium tomato, diced
small
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Ground black pepper, to
taste
Red pepper
flakes, as required
A pinch of saffron,
crumbled
Salt to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh
cilantro
In a large pot,
combine the oil, onions cumin, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and black pepper. Cook
until onions turn translucent. Add squash and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then
add the remaining ingredients, except salt and cilantro. Cover and cook till
squash is about 2/3rds done (about 12-15 minutes) . Then add salt and some of the cilantro. Uncover
and cook till squash is tender and liquid has reduced enough to make a thick
stew. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.
Notes :
1. 18 ounces of diced squash is about 1.2 pounds. Butternut squash is hard as a brick when it's raw so buying it pre-diced may be a good idea.
2. If you're using canned chickpeas, use vegetable stock instead of the chickpea cooking liquid.
3. Cilantro hater alert - Use parsley instead of cilantro. It's not the same, but it's better than nothing.
