Moroccan Spiced Baked Squash with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Chickpeas & Tahini
Baked squash, filled with roasted spicy tomato sauce and chickpeas, finished with a drizzle of tahini sauce, makes a sensational vegetarian or plant-based main course.
Ingredients
- 2 medium squash e.g. acorn, harlequin, casperita, uchiki kuri
- salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ground black pepper
- 160 g cooked chickpeas
Spice mix
- 3 level tsp ground cumin
- 2 level tsp paprika
- 1 level tsp ground ginger
- 1 level tsp ground turmeric
- 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
- ½-1 level tsp chilli powder or flakes
Roasted tomato sauce
- 500 g tomatoes cut into roughly uniform chunks
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic finely sliced
- 4 level tsp spice mix
- 1 rounded tsp brown sugar optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Tahini sauce
- 60 g tahini
- 60 g yogurt can be replaced with more tahini
- 1 small clove garlic very finely chopped
- 1 tsp spice mix
- salt
- ½-1 lemon juice only
- water
To serve
- cooked grains (optional) e.g. bulgur, quinoa, rice
- 25 g toasted pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp toasted black and white sesame seeds
- chopped fresh mint or coriander or parsley
- 1 pinch spice mix
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
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Make the spice mix
Put all the spices in a small jar with a lid, give it a good shake to combine then set aside.
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Prepare and bake the squash
Cut the squashes in half, scrape out the seeds and discard.
Using a sharp knife, make deep crisscross cuts all over the inside flesh but without going through the skin: this will help the spice mix penetrate.
Put the squash halves on a lined roasting tray, cut side uppermost.
Season lightly with salt and pepper then sprinkle some of the spice mix over each one.
Drizzle or brush with the tablespoon of olive oil then place in the oven on the middle shelf.
Bake until the squash feel tender when pierced with a knife: approx 40-50 min depending on size (baste or brush occasionally to prevent the spices burning).
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Make the roasted tomato sauce
Put the prepared tomatoes, onion and garlic on another roasting tray.
Season with salt, pepper, 4 teaspoons of the spice mix, plus the sugar if using.
Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil then toss so everything is coated in seasoning and oil.
Put in the oven above the squash and cook until the tomatoes and onion are softened and starting to brown. Remove from the oven.
Scrape the contents of the tray, including any juices or oil, into a blender (or suitable container if using a stick blender) and whizz to a smooth sauce.
Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
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Stuff and bake the squash
Put the chickpeas in a bowl and coat generously with around half the roasted tomato sauce.
Pile the chickpeas into the squash and put back in the oven at 190 c / 170c Fan / Gas 4 to heat through (20-25 min).
Note: you can prepare in advance up to this point and bake later (30-35 min if baking from chilled).
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Make the tahini sauce
While the squash is baking, take a bowl and stir together the tahini, yogurt if using, garlic, spice mix, a pinch of salt and half the lemon juice.
Stir in a splash or two of water to give a consistency that can be drizzled.
Taste and add more seasoning or lemon juice if needed
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Serving
Serve the squash on a bed of grains if liked, then drizzle generously with the tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds, the chopped herbs and a little spice mix.
Serve the remaining tomato sauce on the side, reheated if necessary.