BLACK BADGER BEAN TORTILLAS WITH SQUASH SALSA

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves 4

Beans are a common filling in tortillas, frequently slow cooked and softly textured, but delicious in salsas like this too. The beans I’ve used are known as black badger, otherwise called carlin peas or pigeon peas, but you could use any dried bean or pea here, or even tinned to reduce the cooking time.

INGREDIENTS

– 150g black badger beans/carlin peas, or other dried beans, soaked in plenty of cold water for

24 hours

– 3 tbsp olive oil

– 2 small red or green chillies, finely chopped, seeds and all – 3 tbsp chopped coriander, plus some sprigs to serve

– grated zest and juice

of 1 lime

– 150g butternut squash flesh, cut into rough 1cm dice

– 4-5 spring onions, halved lengthways and finely chopped

– 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted and chopped

– 4 soft flour tortillas

METHOD

Rinse the soaked beans then place in a pan with plenty of lightly salted water. Simmer for about an hour or until the beans are tender and soft enough to mash. The timing can vary so keep checking as they are cooking and top up with water if necessary.

Drain in a colander, then mash half of the beans with the back of a fork or potato masher. Set the rest aside.

Mix the mashed beans with half of the oil, half of the chopped chillies and 1 tbsp of the chopped coriander, then season to taste and add the juice of the lime.

To make the salsa, cook the diced squash in boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain, then leave to cool. Mix with the reserved cooked beans, the spring onion and the rest of the chopped chillies and coriander. Stir through the pumpkin seeds and lime zest.

Mix in enough oil to bind and season to taste.

Warm the tortillas and top with the bean purée, salsa and some sprigs of coriander. Roll up or serve open for your guests to roll.