Parsnips & chickpeas in garlic, onion, chilli & ginger paste
From farmer’s market round the seasons cookbook
A warming combination of root, protein and spices that will wake your tastebuds for Spring
200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or a tin if you don’t have time)
7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2in piece fresh root ginger, chopped
2 chillies, seeded and finely chopped (or a pinch of cayenne pepper)
450ml plus 75ml water
4 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground tumeric
½ to 1 tsp chilli powder or mild paprika
50g cashew nuts, toasted and chopped
250g tomatoes, chopped
900g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of one lemon or lime
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
To serve
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
A handful of cashew nuts, toasted
Natural yoghurt
Naan bread , chappatis or crusty bread – sliced
1. Put the soaked chickpeas in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil vigorously for 10 mins, then reduce heat to a rolling boil. Cook for 1- 1.5 hours, or until chickpeas are tender – top up water if necessary. Drain and set aside.
2. Set 2 tsp of the chopped garlic aside, and put the rest into a food processor with the ginger, onion, and half the chopped chillis. Add 75ml water and process to a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Stir in the ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and the ground cashew nuts. Add the ginger paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the water begins to evaporate. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry for 2-3 mins.
4. Mix in the cooked chickpeas and parsnip chunks with the 450ml water, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Bring to the boil, stir, then simmer, uncovered, for 15-20mins until the parsnips are completely tender.
5. Reduce the liquid if necessary, by bringing the sauce to the boil and boiling until the sauce has thickened – ensuring that it doesn’t stick to the pan. Add the ground cumin with salt and lemon/lime juice to taste. Stir in the reserved garlic and green chilli/cayenne and cook for a further 1-2 mins. Scatter the fresh coriander leaves and toasted cashew nuts over and serve straight away with yoghurt and warmed naan bread, chapattis or sliced crusty bread. This dish could also be served with rice.