Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Spicy Chickpea and Vegetable Casserole


From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

To make this casserole, I should have soaked the chickpeas overnight but forgot to do so. However, it was easy enough to do a quick soak by putting them in a saucepan with plenty of water, bringing it to the boil and them letting them soak for a couple of hours. That worked well.



To begin the casserole, I sautéed a chopped onion and garlic glove in some olive oil for a few minutes. Then I added ground cumin (about 3 teaspoons), half a teaspoon of chipotle chilli powder, and half a teaspoon of allspice. These were stirred into the onion for another minute, when the chickpeas, drained, a can of chopped tomatoes and about two cups of stock were added. Once brought to the boil this was covered and left to cook for an hour.



A couple of cups of pumpkin pieces, three gold squash quartered and a good handful of green beans were added with a pinch of dried oregano and a tablespoon of tomato paste. These were left to cook for about 15 minutes more. By now the vegetables were done and the liquid had become a juicy sauce so I turned off the heat and left it covered for a few minutes more before serving.

This was a great cold weather dish. The chipotle chilli had imparted a smoky flavour that went well with the spicy sauce. And chickpeas are always a favourite. So far recipes from this particular cookery book have always turned out to be a success. They are easy to make and are well suited to family meals.



Taste: ✔✔✔✔
Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

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