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!
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.
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
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
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Can you freeze Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash?
I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Spiced Grains and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Jeanette Hardy says
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 👌
Eb Gargano says
Aw yay – that’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀
Dan K says
Thanks for sharing this! I had been trying to imitate this with a mixture of quinoa and bulgur, but you’re spot on that they use barley! I was flummoxed by what fruit they used too so thanks for revealing its cranberries! Also I season (cumin, salt, pepper) and roast (190 C, 25min) the cubes of squash beforehand and add them at the end. They’ve sadly taken this off the menu in the UK now so I have no reference and will keep refining this to my own taste
Eb Gargano says
They’ve taken this off the menu??? Oh no – it’s one of my absolute favourites! Such a shame. Oh well, at least I managed to get my homemade copycat version figured out before they did. Great to hear you liked this recipe! Thanks for such a lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀
Joy Etta says
This is my second timemaking this recipe, and it’s great!
First time, I only wanted a recipe that used butternut squash, as I had some, and so I replaced most of the ingredients with suitable alternatives (that I had in the pantry) and it worked! Based on the principle!
Second time, I followed the recipe to the tee, and it also worked! This is a good late winter/early spring dinner that’s slowly making it’s way as a regular.
5/5 will recommend.
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀