What’s better on a cold autumn evening than a piping hot, good for the soul, stew?

I can’t think of anything i’d want more!

This is the perfect recipe for a hearty meal after a busy day. Just a few simple ingredients that are so satisfying and make your taste buds sing. A bowl of this is kind of like a hug for your insides if I’m totally honest. Maybe the flavours are just nostalgic for me…

It’s kind of a hybrid of two dishes; balila, a chickpea breakfast plate, and ‘batata m’al’asa’, a potato and chickpea stew which is served with rice. All 3 dishes are made of staple ingredients and simple cooking processes. This stew is easy to make in that, unlike a traditional stew which you’re told to simmer for hours on end, it’s ready before you’ve finished an episode of your favourite show.

When you’re trying to cook with speed you want to use flavours that needn’t be tampered with and lend themselves well to simplicity and minimal effort.

I mean, lemon, parsley and cumin, is there even a better combination?

Serves - 4

Prep - 5 mins

Cook - 20 mins

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
350g potato (2-3 regular potatoes/baby potatoes)
1 tin chickpeas
1 tin cannellini beans
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
handful parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Roughly chop the garlic, and saute in the olive olive oil with a pinch of salt until soft
Add the potatoes, chopped into large cubes, and cover, leaving to cook for about 10 mins, tossing halfway
Add in the chickpeas, beans, and add around 2 cups of water, or until they’re just covered, simmer for 10 mins
Add in the lemon, cumin, salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 more mins until the stew has thickened a little
Add in the parsley, and extra pepper and/or chilli flakes
Serve with toasted bread
Enjoy!