Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Spices
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 5 g ground cumin
- 3 g ground coriander
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 3 g smoked paprika
Stew Base
- 600 g pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 250 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes, with juices
- 500 ml vegetable broth
Couscous
- 200 g dry couscous
- 250 ml vegetable broth
- 2 g salt
Finishing
- 10 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, peel and dice the pumpkin into uniform 2.5cm cubes. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent and softened.
Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Cook stirring constantly until highly fragrant.
Add the diced pumpkin, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and 500ml of vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil at approximately 100°C/212°F, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the pumpkin is fork-tender but still holding its shape.
About 10 minutes before the stew is done, pour the 250ml of vegetable broth and salt into a medium saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil.
Remove the boiling broth from the heat. Instantly stir in the dry couscous, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and leave it to steep undisturbed.
Remove the lid from the couscous and gently fluff the grains using a fork to separate them.
Remove the stew from the heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and most of the chopped cilantro.
Spoon a bed of fluffy couscous into wide bowls and ladle the rich pumpkin and chickpea stew over the top. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.
Chef's Notes
- Toasting the dry spices in the residual oil before adding your liquids blooms their fat-soluble flavor compounds, creating a profound, restaurant-quality depth.
- For the absolute best couscous texture, use a wide, shallow dish rather than a tall pot to steep it. This prevents the grains at the bottom from compressing under the weight of the grains above them.
- If you prefer a naturally thicker stew while maintaining the low-fat profile, use a ladle to scoop out about 100g of cooked chickpeas and broth, blend them until smooth, and stir the mixture back into the pot.
- Acid is crucial for balancing earthy elements like pumpkin and chickpeas. If the dish tastes flat after cooking, an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice will instantly wake up the flavors.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store stew and couscous in separate airtight containers to prevent the couscous from becoming soggy.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew only. Couscous texture degrades significantly when frozen and thawed.
Reheating: Reheat stew gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until bubbling. Microwave couscous with a splash of water to steam and revive the grains.
