Curried Chickpeas and Roasted Squash
Curried Chickpeas and Roasted Squash will help you start the new year off with lighter fare while enjoying a meatless curried dish. Blended with a tomato, onion and coconut base, and infused with cumin, garlic, paprika and other seasoning, curry can only up the flavor of chickpeas and squash, making this a perfect vegetarian friendly dish. Curried chickpeas give tribute to the Age of Discoveries when Portuguese sailors, returning from far-away lands, brought spices back to the homeland.
A curried dish in Portuguese cuisine is not often seen, however every now and then a very flavorful one appears. Curried shrimp and Curried Chicken, are two such popular dishes, the recipe of which you can find in my cook books. On the vegetarian side, chickpeas are just the perfect legume to season with curry. Chickpeas with either sweet curry or hot curry is a personal choice. If you make your own curry, feel free to use your personal favorite curry. Packed with protein, Curried Chickpeas and Roasted Squash is very flavorful.
Serves 4
Day 1
½ pound (1 ¼ cups/227 g) dried chickpeas or substitute 3 cups (600g) drained canned chickpeas
Next Day 2:
Rimmed sheet-pan
1 small butternut squash, stemmed, seeded, halved lengthwise
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/56 g) butter
¼ cup (2 ounces/60 ml) olive oil
One large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup, coarsely chopped, peeled , seeded tomato
2 teaspoons paprika
3 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped or to tase
¼ cup (2 ounces/60 ml) white wine
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/3 cup (13.5 ounces/400 ml) coconut milk
¼ cup (1 ounce/15 g) finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tablespoon curry
Hot sauce to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse kosher salt
Ground white pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups long grain rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Day 1:
1. Pick through the dried chickpeas and discard any shriveled ones. Soak them overnight in a bowl, with enough water to cover them by 2 –inches. (If using canned chickpeas, skip to step 3.)
Next day:
2. Drain the chickpeas into a sieve and rinse, then transfer to a 3-quart (2.7 liter) pot and add enough water to cover again by about 3 –inches. Set the pot over medium-high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the chickpeas are tender. Drain off the liquid and reserve the chickpeas until needed.
3. Next: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C.) Lightly oil the sheet pan and place the squash halves on top, with the cut side down. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until a sharp knife easily pierces the peel. Remove the pan from the oven. Cool slightly then lift and discard the peel from the squash. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut the squash into 2-inch squares, then set the squash aside in a bowl until needed.
4. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet until the butter is melted into the oil and is hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and sauté until lightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, paprika and garlic. Cover, then simmer over medium low until the tomatoes nearly break down and become married to the onions, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, stir the wine and tomato paste together in a cup, then add to the tomato onion base and stir well.
6. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk and one half of the parsley with the curry, hot sauce and cumin. Season with the salt and white pepper to taste. Stir the mixture into the tomato and onion base, blending well.
7. Mix the cornstarch and water in a cup, then stir into the base as well.
8. Fold in the reserved chickpeas and squash, then turn to coat them in the sauce. Simmer the vegetables on low until the chickpeas and squash are heated through, about 2 minutes. Cover and keep the curried chickpeas and squash hot.
9. Cook the rice in boiling salted water until tender.
10. To serve, scoop the hot rice onto a serving platter or individual plates and ladle the curried chickpeas and squash over. Garnish with remaining fresh parsley.
