This dish was a big hit with my family the very first time that I made it. It is colorful, tasty and not hard to
make. The key is the presentation, to top off this hot dish with some cool yogurt sweetened with honey.
Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash, about 1 ½ pounds
1 can 15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry and air dried to reduce moisture
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons garam masala, or substitute a combination of ground spices: cinnamon,
cloves, cumin &
coriander
½ - ¾ cup Greek yogurt
1-2 teaspoons honey
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped; may substitute mint or parsley leaves
¼ - ½ cup pomegranate seeds; may substitute dried cranberries, raisins or diced red pepper
Wash then roast the squash in a large flat pan in a 425 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes.
It may weep out some water as it roasts, so that’s why I use a wide flat pan. Test for doneness
by seeing if you can stick a fork into it easily.
Remove the squash from the oven and cool it in the pan on top of a wire rack until it is cool
enough to handle. The squash has so much moisture in it that it holds heat very well and may
not be cool to the touch until 30-45 minutes have passed.
While the squash is cooking and cooling you can whisk together the yogurt and honey and
chill it all in a bowl until ready to use.
To prepare the cooled squash, cut off the ends and split the squash once lengthwise. Scoop
out the seeds and discard them. Then tear or cut the squash into medium-large pieces, about 1-
2 inches each. When cooled, it will be easy to slip off all the skin as you do this. Discard all the
skin too.
Prepare the chickpeas, perhaps while the squash is roasting. After rinsing and draining the
chickpeas you must pat them dry and spread them out on a paper towel-covered flat pan to dry.
You will be frying them to a crisp so they need to be dry. Any excess moisture will cause them to
steam in the skillet and then wilt and not get crispy. A large skillet must be used so as not to
crowd the chickpeas. Moisture will steam out from the heated chickpeas and keep them from
browning and crisping. A large pan will give room for the moisture to evaporate between the
chickpeas without steaming and wilting them.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy skillet or large frying pan on medium-high heat. Fry the
chickpeas, turning or shaking often as not to burn them. Cook until they start to brown and crisp in about 5-10
minutes, depending on your heat and the type of pan you are using. Add the onion to the pan and cook just
until the onion turns translucent, about another 5 minutes. Add the garam masala and stir until well combined
and fragrant. Remove and reserve.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until nearly smoking and add the squash pieces to the same hot
skillet. Cook the squash pieces without turning them for about 5 minutes, then turn over and brown the other
sides thoroughly.
When the squash is browned you can assemble this dish either in the skillet to serve directly or else in a
serving dish. Place the squash in first, then distribute the cooked chickpeas all over the squash. Sprinkle on
the pomegranate seeds and cilantro leaves then top it off with several dollops of the yogurt mixture and serve!
Spiced Chickpeas with Roasted Butternut Squash