Stir-fried Butternut Squash with black bean sauce recipe

So, what do you do with all those unripe butternut squashes at the end of summer? They haven't yet developed the sweetness we associate butternuts with, which can be off-putting to some. So, try this: stir-fry them with black bean sauce and garlic.

This recipes is also suitable for ripe (or store bought) butternut squashes.

When this dish is served, the squash should be tender and coated in the sauce, the peppers and spring onions with just a little crunch. The trick to getting this right is to slice the squash into thin, equal sized pieces so that it cooks quickly and evenly.

Garlic and chilli should be roughly chopped, not minced so as not to burn in the wok.

I'm using store bought Lee Kum Kee black bean and garlic sauce out of a jar - this is probably the most well known and loved brand of ready made Chinese sauces. Different brands will vary in saltiness - and black bean sauces then to be quite salty - so use sparingly and taste test as you cook, adding more if necessary.

Stir-fried Butternut Squash with black bean sauce recipe

Serves 2 as a main, with rice

Ingredients

500g butternut squash (about half a large one), peeled and sliced into 2-3mm thick pieces

1 bunch spring onions, cut into pieces

1 large bell pepper / capsicum (any colour), sliced

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 medium red chilli, sliced at a diagonal

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp black bean sauce

1 tbsp water

1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat.

2. Add squash and fry for 2 minutes.

3. Add garlic, red chilli, bell pepper and fry for 30 seconds.

4. Add spring onions and fry for 30 seconds.

5. Add black bean sauce, water and sugar and toss through.

6. Stir-fry until squash is tender (approximately 3 - 4 minutes)