Garbanzos Granados - a twist on a summer chilean bean stew

Josefina Venegas Meza is a Chilean pastry chef based in London.

‘I love developing recipes, particularly those that highlight Chilean produce and traditional flavours. I believe in the power of a shared table and that food builds communities. That through the food we make we can create the kind of world we want to inhabit – diverse, considered and one that connects us more to our roots, land and communities. Ultimately, I enjoy sharing these with friends and creating communities through the joy of feasting and cooking together.’

Legumes Monday was an institution in my house when growing up. After a weekend of barbecues and indulgence it probably seemed like a good idea to cook something nutritious and austere for the kids. I am not really sure where it comes from, but it is a traditional thing in many Chilean households.

I don’t think you can find a Chilean who doesn’t have memories of long, sultry summer afternoons, probably mum and kids sitting in the garden or perhaps the kitchen, everyone podding beans. Hands full of dirt, opening the bright pink pods, popping the beans – some of them green, you can tell they are young beans, some a little white, some with reddish specks on them. Everyone participates in the podding, and you chat, or perhaps you have the telenovela in the background.

This dish is a combination of two classic Chilean stews, porotos granados and garbanzos. Porotos granados is the most beloved of the legumes and a highlight of summer. But it’s not always easy to find podding beans and frankly, there’s not always time to sit for a whole afternoon podding beans. So, I propose this new take with chickpeas, which are normally reserved for more wintery soups. You can use regular dried chickpeas, but I made these with a selection of legumes I had in my pantry – a combination of Fava Beans, Red Fox Carlin Peas & Marrowfats, all British organic.

Thanks to Jo of @sour_jough for this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ white onion, diced

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 cup of dried chickpeas (or other chunky legumes), soaked overnight

  • 300 g pumpkin or butternut squash, in chunks

  • 300 g (ideally fresh) sweetcorn, otherwise frozen

  • 1 medium tomato, diced

  • a handful of fresh basil

  • a dash of olive oil

    For the Chilean spice mix:

  • 2 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • ½ tsp dried coriander powder

  • ½ tsp sweet paprika

  • ¼ tsp smoked chilli powder

METHOD

  1. In a large saucepan, warm up olive oil and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the spices and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add the pulses, salt and pepper and stir fry for another couple of minutes.

  2. Pour boiling water into the saucepan, making sure you are just covering the pulses. Add the chunks of pumpkin with the diced tomato and half of the corn.

  3. In a food processor, blitz the remaining corn and basil, adding a little bit of water if needed, until you have a relatively smooth paste.

  4. Add the pureed corn into the pot and cook until pulses are cooked through but not disintegrating and the pumpkin is very soft. Check the seasoning to make sure it’s tasty – the corn, pumpkin and tomato are all sweet, so you might need a little extra salt than you think.

  5. Garnish with a couple of basil leaves and enjoy. Buen provecho!