Welcome to Fiction To Sink Your Teeth Into, a new feature from author and professional chef Rohan O’Duill!

Squash and chickpea tagine paired with Dune by Frank Herbert

Serves 2/3

Ingredients

• 250g of Butternut squash diced
• 1 red onion diced
• 4 cloves of garlic diced
• 1 tin of chickpeas 
• 1 stock cube
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• Cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon
• 200g of couscous 
• 1 large tomato
• 1 bunch cilantro

Method 

Fry the squash, onion, garlic and chickpeas in a very hot pan. Add the spices and stock cube and stir around. Allow the veg to brown a little and then transfer the mix into a tagine. (If you don’t have a tagine you can use a casserole dish or even a deep oven dish and cover in tin foil)

Pour the tin of chopped tomatoes over the top and put on the cover. Place in an oven and bake for 60 minutes at 170C or 340F

Ten minutes before the tagine is ready. Place 200g of couscous in a bowl and pour 200ml of boiling stock over it. Stir and wrap in cling film. Leave for 5 minutes to cook out. 

Dice up the tomato and cilantro- mix into the cooked out couscous and serve.

Pair with a nice glass of shiraz and a heavy helping of Dune. 

Notes: If you can get your hands on some Araki sandworm or spice melange, feel free to add them in.