Golden chickpea, pumpkin and coconut stew
Healthy but hearty - this is the stew you didn't know you needed!
Hello and Happy New Year!
The cold, the wind, the rain, did I mention the wind? have all got me craving warm bowls of comfort. But I also want nourishing, I want hearty but healthy which is often hard to come by. So this golden chickpea, pumpkin and coconut stew is exactly that, golden hues of healing deliciousness, full of flavour, spice, a little heat but creamy and oh-so good. I mean, how good does that sound??
Chickpeas are so good for you and I know if I have jars, or cans of them in the cupboard then I know I am only moments away from something delicious. Use them in veggie curries, humous, roasted crispy chickpeas which make any salad truly delicious. They are high in fibre, protein and healthy fats with a low GI - not that I truly understand what that means but I know it’s all good stuff.
I often get asked where inspiration for recipes comes from and it’s a funny one when I think about it as the answer is literally from everywhere. I have notebooks full of ideas - some go back to when I was 16 and started writing these recipe notebooks. And the ideas can come from anywhere, a random thought in the park, a dish at a restaurant, one item in your fridge that needs using up, something a friend cooks for you, my mum, and I know this is weird but I keep a notebook by the bed as I often have ideas in my sleep and then I wake up write them down and go back to sleep. That’s weird I know. Anyway, I came up with this recipe by accident - like all the best recipes. I had been cooking Thanksgiving for an American client and had a left over tin of pumpkin puree that I wanted to use and suddenly just thought using it like this might just be delicious and less faff than peeling and roasting a pumpkin. I think in America pumpkin puree is much more of a utilised pantry staple but over here in the UK I think less so, or for me certainly. But no longer! It was so good, that this is now a regular dish in our house. Of course if you don’t want to use tinned pumpkin puree or can’t get your hands on any I’m going to talk you through how to just use a normal pumpkin which will be just as good.
The base is made up of the usual suspects, we’ve got chilli, garlic and ginger, turmeric and other bits and bobs and oh my goodness the flavours in this are just so good mixed with the creamy coconut. I love this spooned over steaming hot rice, you can do white or brown, both delicious.
Of the multiple (optional) toppings for this dish one of my favourite things are the crispy chickpeas. They are ridiculously good. Really quick, very forgiving in that you can sprinkle them with whatever you fancy and just roast until crispy and crunchy. I love them in salads, scattered over soups, as a little something crunchy to have with drinks. I love them.
Serves 4
(or 2 with left overs, or for 1 it’s easy to half and then you have lunch the next day)