Citrusy Kabocha and Chickpea Stew

Heat the oil in a 7 quart Dutch oven over a medium high flame. When it ripples add the cumin and cinnamon stick. Cook until the cumin darkens about 1 minute. Add the onions. Sprinkle with salt. Cook stirring until they start to become translucent. Add the kabocha and potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until the edges of the kabocha start to soften, about 5-8 minutes.

Add the tomato concentrate. Cook stirring to coat the veggies. When it starts to catch and caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute, sprinkle the vegetables with the sweet paprika. Cook stirring a minute more.

Add the water, chickpeas, garlic and dried lime. There should be just enough liquid to almost cover the chickpeas and vegetables. Stir to combine any tomato and paprika that may have stuck to the bottom of pan. Bring to a boil. Cover. Lower the flame to medium low. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Push the dried lime against the side of the pan to release the juices inside. Stir to mix. Taste for salt. Let sit for 1 hour

Before serving, discard the lime and the cinnamon stick. Reheat. Serve over basmati rice with wedges of lime.

Ann's Tips:

You can use butternut squash instead of kabocha, but it must be peeled.

In step 3, if using homemade chickpeas, add 2 cups to the stew, along with their broth. Top up the stew with just enough stock or water to almost cover the veggies as per recipe.

Persian limes are not everyday items. To get their sharp citrusy tang, you can either replace them in this dish with a couple of 1” strips of lime zest, or a preserved lemon, with its pulp scooped out and discarded.