Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp turmeric
1 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
400g tin coconut milk
½ butternut squash, seeds removed, chopped into 2cm/½in pieces
400g tin chickpeas
fresh coriander leaves
150g/5oz basmati rice
salt

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, fresh red chili, cumin, and turmeric, and cook until the onions are softened.
  2. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk to the pan, bringing the mixture to a boil. Then, stir in the squash and chickpeas. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30–40 minutes, checking occasionally and adding water if necessary.
  3. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to cook for another 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  4. Rinse the rice in a large bowl by covering it with water, carefully discarding the water, and repeating until the water runs clear.
  5. Transfer the rinsed rice to a saucepan, add 500ml/18fl oz of water, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Afterward, remove the rice from the heat and let it stand with the lid on for another 10 minutes.
  6. Serve the curry with the rice, garnished with fresh coriander.