Tandoori Roasted Pumpkin & Chickpeas

This year I managed to grow quite a good crop of pumpkins – actually they were butternut squash but you can use them just the same as pumpkins in cooking and I find them much easier to cut. I find that I am tending to eat a lot more plant-based meals these days and pumpkins are a go-to favourite to base meals around. This Tandoori Roasted Pumpkin & Chickpeas recipe is so simple and really tasty – the chickpeas go quite crunchy and add a nice texture. The recipe I tried put them into tortillas but I also used them to top a pizza and there are many other ways you could use them.

3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon tandoori spice paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500 grams pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1cm thick wedges
400-gram tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
sea salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Whisk the oil, yoghurt, tandoori paste, lemon juice and garlic together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Add the pumpkin and chickpeas and turn to coat everything in the spice paste.Tip on to a large, lined baking tray, scraping out all the paste then spread out to a single layer. Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until the pumpkin is tender and the chickpeas are golden.

Serving Suggestions
Tortillas: Spread tortillas with sour cream, then top with the tandoori roasted pumpkin and chickpeas, coleslaw and sliced avocado. Finish with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.

Pizza: Spread tomato paste or tomato relish on a pizza base or pita bread, top with the tandoori roasted pumpkin and chickpeas, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven at 180C until the top is golden brown. Serve covered with fresh herbs such as basil or lemon basil.

Other Pumpkin recipes:
I often use pumpkin when making Roasties with Spinach and Feta – a delicious meal on its own. Or I make a big batch of roasted vegetables so that I can use leftovers in a Frittata if I have friends coming for lunch the next day.