Butternut Squash - Butter beans Sambar Stew
This perfect Autumn vegetable stew is an incredible balance of sweet, sour, spicy, tangy!
✦ Ingredients
- ✦ 3 medium-sized tomatoes
- ✦ 3 cups of butternut squash (chopped to 1/2 inch cubes)
- ✦ 1 cup of raw/uncooked butternut beans / 2 cans of cooked butternut beans
- ✦ 1-2 carrots (chopped as 1/2-inch cylinders)
- ✦ 1 large onion (diced)
- ✦ 0.5-1 can of coconut milk (13 oz/400ml) - vary use based on spice tolerance
- ✦ 5 garlic pods
- ✦ 1-2 tbsp oil/butter
- ✦ 1.5 tbsp Hearty Sambar
- ✦ 1/2 tbsp Tamarind Paste or Quarter-sized ball of tamarind pods
- ✦ 1 tbsp brown sugar / jaggery
✦ Instructions
- If using raw/uncooked beans, soak butter beans in hot water from the kettle for 1/2 hour. Boil beans on slow boil for 1 hour or until beans are al dente (firm to the bite). If using cooked canned beans, empty beans into a bowl and soak in hot water from the kettle for 1/2 hour to remove any preservatives.
- Chop butternut squash into 1/2 sized cubes. Chop carrot in 1/2 inch sized cylinders. (goal to keep squash and carrots in similarly sized pieces, so they can cook evenly in the oven)
- Bring chopped carrots and squash into a oven-tray or baking friendly pan. Add 2-3 garlic pods. Drizzle some olive oil onto this vegetable medley, season with ~1-2 tsp of salt. Toss/mix to ensure salt and olive oil coat all pieces.
- Place tray (with squash, carrot, garlic) into oven, cook for 40 mins, 475 F / 240 C.
- Dice tomatoes and onions into 1/4 inch pieces.
- To a big soup pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil/cooking oil/butter. Add tomatoes. Cook until tender.
- Add onions. Cook for 2 minutes. Add boiled al dente beans.
- Add Hearty Sambar and tamarind. Mix to coat cooked tomatoes, onions and beans with spices
- Add 3 cups of water to the soup pot. Add 1 tbsp brown sugar/jaggery. Bring to slow boil / cook for 5 minutes. (tip: beans and onions should be soft, retain shape/firm, fully cooked and ready to eat at this point).
- Add oven-roasted veggies to the stew pot. Slow boil for another 2-3 minutes so spices are fully incorporated. Taste for salt. Add salt as needed (tip: veggies should also be firm/retain shape/not mushy, but fully cooked)
- Slowly add coconut milk to the stew, starting with adding 1/2 can and increase up to 1 can based on spice tolerance.
- Boil for another 2-3 minutes and stir thoroughly. Add water if needed to dilute the stew, add salt as needed.
- Finely dice 2-3 pods of garlic. Make a garlic tempering: To a small sauce pan, add 1 tbsp cooking oil/butter. Roast garlic in the oil, until garlic turns a golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Pour this tempering on the stew!
- Serving suggestions: Serve stew with a side of fresh baguette, or enjoy over rice. Top with a fried egg if you'd like. Pan-fried shishito peppers/padron peppers/piment doux seasoned with some flaky salt also makes for a great addition! Bon Appetit!
