Indian-spiced late fall vegetable stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 fresh green chili (like a jalapeno or serrano), deseeded, cored and chopped, or a generous amount of hot pepper sauce
• 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• About ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• About ½ teaspoon turmeric
• About ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• About ½ teaspoon ground fennel seed
• About ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste or ½ cup crushed or pureed tomatoes
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, or parsley, optional
• 2 medium potatoes, about 11 ounces, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound winter squash, like butternut or acorn, peeled and deseeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed in cold water, and drained again

Garnishes

• 1 cup cooked white basmati rice
• ½ cup sour cream or plain whole-fat yogurt
• ⅓ cup chopped scallions
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Indian bread, like Naan

Steps

1. In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, chili and half the ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in salt and pepper and the cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, fennel and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes. You should be able to smell the spices at this point.

3. Add the tomato paste or sauce and half the cilantro and stir well to combine. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

4. Stir in the potatoes, squash, chickpeas and the remaining ginger and cilantro. Add 2 cups of cold water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and squash are knife-tender and the sauce is flavorful; add more salt, pepper or spices if needed.

5. Serve hot, accompanied by any or all of the garnishes.

Notes