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Home » All Recipes » Side Dishes » Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

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Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

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Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash Pin

Love the Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash side you get at Nando’s? Now you can make it at home with this easy peasy Nando’s fakeaway version!

Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

The best Nando’s side!

What’s your favourite Nando’s side?

There are some strong contenders… Rainbow Slaw, Spicy Rice, Peri-Salted Chips, Macho Peas…

But for me, the best side has to be Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash! I just can’t get enough of this tasty combo of grains, veggies, feta and cranberries.

Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

What exactly is in Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

Nando’s don’t say exactly what is in their Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash, but after considerable research (it was a tough job, but someone had to do it!) I can confirm that Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash contains:

  • pearl barley
  • butternut squash
  • green beans
  • pumpkin seeds
  • dried cranberries
  • feta cheese

Ingredients shot for Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

What spices are in Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

I’ll be honest, I am not 100% sure what spices Nando’s use but I managed to achieve a very similar flavour by using a combination of:

  • ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

What is the grain in Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

Nando’s use pearl barley as the grain in Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash.

Pearl barley is barley that has been ‘polished’ to remove its thick outer hull and bran layer, leaving just the ‘pearl’ inside. Despite the processing, it’s still fairly nutritious, as pearl barley is a good source of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Pearl barley is often used to bulk out soups and steps – such as this One Pot Irish Lamb Stew – but in Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash it is the star of the show!

You can easily find pearl barley in the supermarket – it’s usually in the same place as dried lentils, dried beans and grains like couscous and quinoa.

Pearl barley and butternut squash in a pan

 

How do you make Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash is very easy to make at home. All you need to do is simmer the pearl barley and spices in boiling water, then add the butternut squash and later the green beans. Once the pearl barley and vegetables are cooked and all the water is absorbed, simply stir in the pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, then transfer to a serving dish. Finally crumble the feta over the top.

(See below for the full recipe.)

Collage showing 6 process shots for Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

What to serve with Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

Serve this delicious side with all your favourite Nando’s-style Peri Peri chicken dishes! For example:

  • Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Thighs
  • Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Breasts
  • Nando’s Boneless Chicken Thighs
  • Nando’s Chicken Butterfly
  • Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Wings
  • Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Burgers
  • Nando’s Sunset Burgers
  • Homemade Nando’s Fino Pitta
  • Peri Peri Chicken Traybake

You could also serve it as a meal in its own right – maybe with some pittas and hummus on the side.

Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash as part of a Nandos style meal

 

What to do with leftover Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

Place any leftovers in a lidded container in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days.

This dish tastes just as good cold. But if you prefer to reheat the leftovers you can.

To reheat, simply tip the leftovers into a saucepan with a good splash of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until piping hot all the way through.

Alternatively reheat the leftover in the microwave until piping hot all the way through.

Overhead shot of Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

Can you freeze Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?

I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

 

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

  • Homemade Nando’s Spicy Rice
  • Homemade Nando’s Rainbow Coleslaw
  • Homemade Nando’s Macho Peas
  • Classic Coleslaw
  • Easy Roasted Corn On The Cob
  • Roasted Peri Peri Sweet Potato Cubes

 

Homemade Nando’s Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash

Love the Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash side you get at Nando’s? Now you can make it at home with this easy peasy Nando’s fakeaway version!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine Portuguese, South African
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 165kcal
Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 100 g pearl barley
  • ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 450 g boiling water (see Note 1)
  • 150 g butternut squash cut into small cubes (roughly 1cm / ½inch cubes)
  • 50 g green beans cut into 1cm / ½inch lengths
  • 15 g pumpkin seeds
  • 20 g dried cranberries
  • 25 g feta cheese

Instructions

  • Place the pearl barley, chilli, cumin, cinnamon and boiling water in a pan. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid, turn the heat down low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, add the butternut squash, stir, replace the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
  • After the 10 minutes, add the green beans, stir, replace the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  • After the 5 minutes, turn the heat off and add the pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. Stir, then transfer to a serving dish.
  • Finally crumble the feta over the top.
  • Serve with your favourite Nando’s chicken dishes!

Notes

  1. If at any point the pan starts to look too dry, add a little extra boiling water. The idea is that, by the time the dish is ready to be served, all the water should have been absorbed. If it hasn’t, simply drain before serving.
  2. Supermarket packets are notorious for suggesting cook times which are too long. The pack instructions for the Tesco Pearl Barley I used said to cook the pearl barley for over an hour! This results in an unappetising mush. I recommend cooking the pearl barley for a total of 35 minutes, which results in nice 'al dente' pearl barley that is very similar in texture to the original Nando's recipe - but of course different brands may vary and you may have different preferences, so you may need to adjust the cook times accordingly.
  3. Not suitable for freezing.
  4. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts
Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash
Amount Per Serving
Calories 165 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.003g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 6mg2%
Sodium 81mg4%
Potassium 281mg8%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 4187IU84%
Vitamin C 10mg12%
Calcium 73mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* % Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet
Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comments below.

 

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2 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jeanette Hardy says

    4th August 2023 at 7:53 pm

    This a delicious, simple recipe and so quick!
    Had cold for 2 days work lunches , then warmed up with added cooked salmon for the last portion…lovely 👌

    Reply
    • Eb Gargano says

      7th August 2023 at 2:06 pm

      Aw yay – that’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀

      Reply

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Hi and welcome to Easy Peasy Foodie! I’m Eb – a professional blogger, busy mum and passionate foodie and it is my mission in life to make cooking EASIER and MORE DELICIOUS! READ MORE

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