Hi everybody! How is everything with you? Here we’re really getting into Autumn: yellow, orange and red leaves falling on the floor, the specific autumnal smell in the air… oh, so beautiful! And this really calls for comforting recipes (also, considering all the matter of rising living costs, we really need some good food to lift our spirits!). Pumpkin/squash recipes are usually perfect for this weather, but I’ve never been too keen on them: probably because my family had only made roasted pumpkin, which I don’t think is the best way to eat a pumpkin. However, I have been slowly warming up to this vegetable and last year I’ve been using it to make sweet dishes. And this year, I’ve seen the video by Calum Harris of the vegan PlantBoiis making a Pumpkin Curry where his premise was that he “usually would say ‘no’ to a pumpkin curry, that would be the last of [his] options” except for this recipe, so I decided to try it. And let me tell you, as someone who isn’t a fan of pumpkins: I. LOVE. IT. Dead easy, quick, flavourful and delicious.

So, here is the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin (1.5kg) or a butternut squash
• 4 tsp garam masala (3 for the pumpkin, 1 for the onions)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 garlic bulb
• Loads of salt and pepper
• Drizzle of light olive oil
• 1 large white onion
• 4cm ginger (with the skin is fine)
• 1 red chilli (de-seeded if you don’t like spice)
• 1 heaped tablespoon mango chutney
• 1 tin (400g) chickpeas
• 1 tin (400g) coconut milk
• 500ml veggie stock
• Seeds need big pinch of salt, a drizzle of light olive oil and 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 poppadoms
• Top with pomegranate seeds, pinch of fresh coriander and the crunchy topping

Method

1. Cut and seed the pumpkin and put in the oven for 40 minutes (recipe doesn’t say, but I guessed 200° C) with the garlic bulb, seasoning with garam masala, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil;
2. Clean and soak the pumpkin seeds;
3. Chop the onion and put it in blender with ginger and chilli (if you use it);
4. Transfer the blended ingredients to a pan, stir fry until caramelised then add the mango chutney, veggie stock, chickpeas and coconut milk. Add the roasted pumpkin and let it simmer for 40 minutes.
5. In the meantime, roast the seeds with some olive oil, salt and cumin for 20 minutes,then take them out of the oven and grind them with the poppadoms. Use it to top the curry with also pomegranate seeds and coriander.

You’ll thank me later!

Love,

TVCL xx