Chickpeas with Butternut Squash

Chickpeas With Butternut Squash

This is Chickpeas with Squash recipe is a really simple yet tasty supper. It can all be made in one pot, something I always like and once the initial chopping has been done it pretty much cooks itself. The only other thing to prepare then is some couscous. Just pour boiling water over it and leave it to stand for five minutes. An easy family meal that is ready in about 30 minutes.

This is a sweet, nutritious and filling meal that is easy to prepare and is an excellent, tasty mid -week supper

Dried Chickpeas Are Soaked And Boiled

I used dried chick peas – they are lower cost and arguably more tasty – but you can of course use a tin of chickpeas, drained. If you are using dried chickpeas you will need to put them in a bowl to soak, with plenty of water, the day before you cook this dish. An overnight 24 hour soak is preferable. Drain off the water the chickpeas have soaked in and place in a pan. Cover with plenty of boiling water and simmer for about one and a half hours, but this will vary according to the particular chickpeas. Test after about 90 minutes to see if they are soft enough. If they are not, just cook for a further 15 minutes at a time until they are done.

If all this sounds like too much trouble, you can stick to tinned chick peas.

Butternut Squash

This recipe uses a butternut squash, but you can use other types of squash, such as a crown prince squash or even a pumpkin. You will need about 500g / 1lb. Sometimes small types of squash are available and they are worth trying as they all have their own distinct flavours.

It is so good that there is such a variety of squashes available in the UK now, as I am sure they were not widely used 20 years ago. They are such a versatile vegetable that can be used in many dishes – such as in a Vegetable Pie.

Sweet Potato

This dish also uses sweet potato. Most sweet potatoes are imported from America although there are some that are being grown in the UK now. It is likely that the ones you buy in the supermarket will have been imported as they are not yet grown commercially in the UK. Sweet potatoes are a staple of the American diet but have become more popular in the UK in recent years.

All the vegetables in this recipe are quite sweet which makes it a delicious meal. The nuttiness of the chickpeas complements the nuttiness in the butternut squash too and provides a variety of texture. Filling and nutritious, it should satisfy the hungriest family members.

You need to remember to boil the kettle about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time of the vegetables, and then put the couscous in a large bowl. I rarely measure the water for couscous, but just pour over enough water so there is initially about an inch of water above the top of the couscous. This seems to work every time. However you should need about 500ml of water for 300g of couscous.

Cooking Tips

You will need a large frying pan. I would recommend this Raymond Blanc frying pan. Robust with even heat and non-stick

Serves 4