Black Bean and Pumpkin Burritos (V) from Mildreds Vegetarian

While Mexican ingredients are easier to get hold of these days, you may have trouble finding some of the items below in your local supermarket. A quick look online for a specialist supplier like the Cool Chile Company will help root out the more unusual ones. Likewise, if you can’t find dried chipotle, just use regular chilli flakes instead. This is great served with Guacamole (see page 175) and Tomatillo Rice (see page 198 of Mildreds Vegetarian).

Serves 6-8

Light cooking oil

400g (13oz) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into

2.5-cm (1-inch) chunks

300g (10oz) dried black turtle beans

1 teaspoon chopped epazote

1 litre (1X pints) water

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 onion, finely diced

1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced

3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed dried chipotle chilli or dried hot chilli flakes

400g (13oz) can chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato purée

200g (7oz) sweetcorn kernels

275g (9oz) Cheddar cheese, grated

6–8 fl our tortillas

Salt

To serve

Shredded iceburg lettuce

Pico de Gallo (see page 22 of Mildreds Vegetarian)

Soured cream

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/Gas Mark 5. Drizzle a little oil on to the base of a roasting tin. Add the pumpkin pieces, season with salt and mix together thoroughly. Roast for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the beans, epazote, water and bicarbonate of soda in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally to stop the beans sticking to the bottom of the pan, for 30–40 minutes, until the beans have begun to break down and become mushy.

Heat a splash of oil in a separate saucepan, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until the onion begins to colour. Add the pepper and garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes, then add the cayenne pepper, paprikas, cumin and chilli and cook over a low heat for a few minutes to release their flavours, being careful not to let them burn. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and sweetcorn and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced and the flavours have melded together.

Stir the pumpkin and beans into the sauce and heat gently to warm through. Remove from the heat. Divide the black bean and pumpkin chilli between the tortillas, roll them tightly, cover in the cheese and place under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve with shredded iceberg lettuce, Pico de Gallo and soured cream.