Wednesday 28 October 2015

North African Squash & Chickpea Stew

This is another little nifty recipe from River Cottage's "Veg Everyday"

I have been wanting to cook more African food, so when I had a look through the recipes and saw this - I knew I had to make it!

The saffron adds that little "cannot quite put my finger on it" flavour and has your guests, flatmates, family or special someone guessing...

North African Squash & Chickpea Stew
(Serves 3)


1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, diced
1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or whole peppercorns)
1/2 tsp turmeric
Pinch cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground ginger
100g red lentils
400g tin chickpeas, drained
Pinch saffron
250ml passata (add 2 tbsp red pesto or aivar if you have it handy!)
Handful parsley, roughly chopped
Handful coriander, finely chopped
200g butternut squash or pumpkin, diced
600ml vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
A good handful dates (optional - but it works really well!)

Vegetarian sausages (optional - NB vegan sausages for vegan)
Bread for mopping or rice to serve

- Simply heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or so.

- Add the spices and stir for a minute before adding celery, lentils, chickpeas, saffron, tomatoes and herbs - followed by the butternut squash, stock and bay leaf, I just worked my way down the list really! Leave out the dates for now, cover and simmer until the lentils are cooked and the pumpkin is tender for about 15-20 minutes). Five minutes before it is ready, add the dates so they are just heated through but doesn't fall apart.

- Using vegetarian sausages? Add at the same time as the butternut squash to allow for it to cook through.

- Serve with bread or rice, or simply on its own, and enjoy!

Despite the typical Weegie-weather, today has been a good day! Work was all right, and I had a cuppa after the shift, walking home when the weather was a little more forgiving and it was just a light drizzle.

Are you ready for Halloween? Cooking up a storm, snuggling up with horror movies or going to a party?
As for me, I am going to a friends to watch the hell out of some cheesy horror movies, because I don't like scary films and thus I have to watch the less scary ones, I am such a child!


Original source:
Veg Everyday, p. 30

- Jules

4 comments:

  1. Spennende! Afrikansk mat er jo så mye (stort kontinent :)), men det lille jeg har smakt er veldig godt. Kader sin mat lukter alltid nyyyydelig, og de gangene han lager vegansk liker alltid både S og jeg det!

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    1. Ja! Saffranen i denne oppskriften gjorde slik at den ikke smakte likt noen annen gryte jeg har hatt før!
      Så spennende! Hvilken av Kader sine oppskrifter er din favoritt? :) Har lyst og lage mer Afrikansk mat, så holder alltid utkikk etter oppskrifter :) xx

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    2. Aner ikke hva det kan hete, men elsker det han kaller "saus" (som egentlig er en wok/gryte) med rare grønnsaker som okra + masse deilige krydder. S sin favoritt er nok en rett han lager med bønner og ris :)

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    3. Okra er så godt! Særlig når du koker det lenge slik at det blir mørt :D Kanskje du kan snike til deg oppskrift? :) x

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