Quick chickpea fesenjan with butternut squash
Quick chickpea fesenjan is a Persian-inspired stew where toasted ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses simmer with chickpeas and butternut squash into a thick, sweet-tart sauce served over rice.
Published .
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Protein
- ~18 g
- The vegan swap
- Chickpeas and butternut squash take the place of the chicken or duck usually simmered in fesenjan, and toasted ground walnuts give the sauce all its body and richness.
- Make ahead
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months. It thickens as it sits, so loosen with a splash of water when reheating. Cook the rice fresh or reheat it with a sprinkle of water.
Ingredients
Stew
To serve
How to make it
Toast and grind the walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a dry large pot over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Tip them into a food processor, let cool for a minute, then pulse into fine crumbs, about 1 minute. No processor? Seal them in a bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Soften the aromatics
In the same pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden at the edges, about 5 minutes.
Bloom the spices
Add the squash, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the spices smell toasty.
Build the sauce
Stir in the ground walnuts for 1 minute, then add the broth, pomegranate molasses and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer until thick
Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring now and then so nothing sticks. Uncover and simmer 5 more minutes until the squash is tender and the sauce is thick and darkened.
Balance and serve
Taste and adjust with maple syrup for sweetness, lemon for brightness and salt. Spoon over rice and top with pomegranate arils and herbs.
Why this works
Toasting the walnuts before grinding deepens their flavor and takes the bitter edge off. Once simmered in broth, the walnut crumbs swell and thicken the sauce into something rich and spoonable, no cream or flour needed.
Pomegranate molasses brings a sweet-sour punch that cuts right through the richness of the nuts, while cinnamon and turmeric add warmth. Chickpeas hold their shape through the short simmer and soak up the sauce, and the squash softens just enough to melt slightly at the edges.
Tips
- Grind the walnuts fine, almost like coarse sand. The finer they are, the creamier the sauce.
- Pomegranate molasses varies a lot in tartness, so add the maple syrup at the end, not the start.
- Swap the squash for sweet potato if that is what you have. Same size cubes, same timing.
Questions about this recipe
What can I use instead of pomegranate molasses?
Simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice in a small pan until it reduces to about 1/4 cup, around 10 minutes. In a pinch, use 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar plus 1 tbsp maple syrup and an extra squeeze of lemon.
Why is there oil pooling on top of my stew?
That is the walnuts releasing their oil as they simmer, and it means the sauce is cooking down nicely. Just stir it back in before serving.