Butternut and chickpea stew

In this soupy chickpea stew, butternut pumpkin brings texture and flavour while coconut milk adds creaminess.

Squash and chickpea stew. Credit: Mary Makes It Easy / Geoff George

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 butternut pumpkin (squash), peeled, seeds discarded
• 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½-2¼ finely grated ginger
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼-½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 (156 ml) can tomato paste
• 3-4 cups (750 ml to 1 litre) low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (400 ml) can coconut milk
• 3-4 cups lightly packed kale, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Plain yoghurt, quartered cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander (cilantro), for serving
  

Serves 4-6.

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Cut the butternut into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes and add to a baking tray (sheet pan) along with the onion. Toss with 1½ tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the squash and onion are caramelised and softened.
3. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in 2 teaspoons of oil along with the chickpeas, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes to toast the spices and bring the flavours together. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute then add in a splash of the broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to lift off any stuck-on bits. Stir in the remaining broth followed by the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
4. Add in the kale and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove the pumpkin and onions from the oven and, using a fork, mash about half of the pumpkin. Add all of the pumpkin and the onion to the pot and stir through the stew to thicken. Simmer for at least 2 minutes to bring the flavours together. Finish with the lemon juice and a final seasoning of salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Serve the stew topped with some yoghurt, tomatoes and coriander (cilantro).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.