Chickpea and Squash Tagine
Delicata is the rock star of the winter squash world: its sweetness isn’t cloying, it cooks quickly, and its skin is not only edible but also delicious and adds a fantastic texture. In this dish, we roast it while creating a chickpea and bulgur tagine on the stovetop; then both are combined and topped with crunchy roasted almonds. If you want, you can rinse the pulp from the seeds and roast them at the same time as the squash. The roasted seeds can be scattered on top of the tagine for an extra bit of crunch.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Delicata squash
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
- Salt and pepper*
- Fresh parsley
- 1 onion
- Fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1 large or 2 small cans chickpeas
- 1 large or 2 small cans diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup bulgur
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- *not included
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 425°F. Put a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Rinse the squash, halve them lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Rub the halves all over with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the squash on the baking sheet, cut side down, and roast until they’re fork-tender and browned on the cut side, 15 to 20 minutes
While the squash roasts, rinse, dry, and chop the parsley into relatively big pieces; keep separate. Peel and chop the onion, ginger, and garlic. Put 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt; cook stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and currants; cook, stirring almost constantly until quite fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pot with the tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Stir to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and adjust the heat so the mixture returns to a gentle bubble. Cover the pot and cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture is bubbling gently, until the tomatoes break down a bit, 5 to 7 minutes
Stir the bulgur into the pot; it should be covered with about 1 inch of liquid. If not, add more water. Cover and cook until the bulgur is tender, adding more water, 1/4 cup at a time if necessary to keep the mixture wet but not sticking, 10 to 15 minutes. When the squash is ready, slice each piece lengthwise, skin and all. In the last 2 minutes of cooking add the roasted squash and parsley and cover the pot so the parsley softens. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve garnished with sliced almonds.
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