This recipe for a warm, spiced stew is slightly adapted from one on Sasha's food blog, A girl's gotta eat. It's easy to make and very satisfying in cool weather. It even looks quite sexy in the bowl - although I think it tastes best when the couscous and stew and yoghurt are all smooshed up together, at which point it's no longer quite as visually attractive.

Use fresh tomatoes here if you can get ripe ones. They're easy to peel, just cut a shallow cross in the bottom of each tomato, place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, drain after 1 minute, and the skin will peel right off. However, if it's the middle of winter and you can't find good fresh tomatoes, don't use tasteless unripe ones, just substitute well-drained tinned tomatoes instead.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onions and the cinnamon stick, and cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the onion is golden and soft.

Add the cumin, ginger, paprika, cayenne and turmeric and cook for 1 minute until aromatic, then add the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes until softened.

Add the chickpeas, pumpkin and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

While the stew is simmering, put the couscous in a large bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave to sit for 10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff the couscous with a fork to break up any lumps.

Divide the bunch of coriander in half. Chop one half very finely, and mix into the yoghurt. Pull the leaves from the other half and tear up roughly.

Once the stew is ready, serve over the couscous, with a big spoonful of the coriander yoghurt, scattered with more of the coriander leaves.

Serves 4.

24 February 2004