Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

For a long time I've been promising to teach a friend how to make a curry from scratch, but we haven't got round to it yet, so this recipe is long overdue. This curry is one I make regularly and serve with Dhal as an accompaniment. I know it seems like a lot of onions but trust me, they will cook down and form the basis of the sauce, and this is the secret to many different curries. This recipe serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients

• 4x Medium Onions
• 4 Cloves garlic
• 200g Butternut squash
• 250g Cooked Chickpeas
• 1 Pepper (whatever colour you prefer)
• 1 Tin of Chopped tomatoes
• 100g of Peas

Spices

• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 2 Teaspoons Coriander Seeds
• 4 Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
•  1 Whole Dried Chilli

Instructions

1. Chop up the onions and fry slowly, in plenty of oil with a good pinch of salt, in a large pan. Let them cook until they are golden brown. Follow this method to get the desired results.
2. Meanwhile dice the Butternut Squash into 1-2cm cubes and cook till tender. You can do this in a pan but I tend to use the Microwave. Simply add the Squash to a Microwavable container (with the lid on loosely) with a splash of water and cook for about 3 minutes on full power.
3. Add the garlic and Pepper (cut into chunks) and fry gently with the onions for a couple of minutes.
4. Grind up all the Spices and add to the pan. I use an electric spice grinder but you can do it with a Pestle and Mortar (or just use pre-ground spices).
5. Add the Cooked Squash (along with the cooking liquid), the Chickpeas and tinned tomatoes and give it all a good stir. 
6. Simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the flavours to mix and for the liquid to reduce to a thick consistency.
7. Add the Peas for the final 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Results

The Curry should be thick, rich and spicy, but not ridiculously hot. The squash and the tomatoes give the curry a sweetness that counterbalances the earthiness of the spices. I'd recommend having Naan bread or Chapattis alongside to mop up the sauce.

You can add different vegetables if you prefer. I often add courgettes, but you can improvise with whatever you like. Let me know of any variations you think work well.

I realise that this recipe uses quite a few different spices that not everyone will have to hand. I tend to buy Spices online in bulk as it is more cost effective than buying from the Supermarket. As a bare minimum I would suggest keeping a stock of Cumin and Coriander seeds as they are prevalent in both Indian and Mexican cooking.