Spiced Chickpea Stew

Everyone loves a one-pot meal, and this spiced chickpea stew will surely be a crowd-pleaser.

Serve with some feta cheese and freshly chopped herbs, a dollop of Greek yoghurt and some chilli flakes or a boiled egg, or alongside a simple green salad. Feel free to add other root vegetables to the stew or swap the pumpkin for sweet potato.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 250g / 8.8oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained before use
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• salt and pepper, to season
• 300g / 10.58oz tomato paste
• 2 cups (500ml / 16.51 fl oz) water
• 400–500g / 0.9lb – 1lb 1.6oz pumpkin, skin removed and chopped into large cubes
• 400g / 0.9lb can whole tomatoes
• 150g / 5.3oz baby kale or baby spinach

Method:

1. The night before you make this stew, pour the dried chickpeas into a large container and cover with twice as much cold water. Set aside to soak.
2. The following day, preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
3. Heat a large, deep cast-iron pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions start to turn golden brown. Add the crushed garlic and chopped carrots, and sauté for another 2–3 minutes. Add in the spices, tomato paste and salt and pepper, and fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the water and give it a stir before adding the chopped pumpkin and drained chickpeas. Add in the can of tomatoes and pop on the lid.
5. Place the pot into the oven and bake for 60–75 minutes, checking towards the end of cooking that the stew isn’t cooking dry and that the chickpeas are tender. Add a little more water, if required, towards the end of cooking.

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Spiced Chickpea Stew recipe is by Amber Rossouw. Styling and photography by Jacinta Moore for Lunch Lady Magazine Issue 15.