Pumpkin Curry recipe

Name: Pumpkin Curry
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 600 g pumpkin; 1 large onion; 3 cloves garlic; 2 cm piece ginger; 400 g tin chickpeas; 400 ml coconut milk; 400 g tin chopped tomatoes; 100 g spinach; 2 tbsp curry powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp turmeric; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; to taste salt; to taste black pepper; 300 g basmati rice

A warming Halloween-friendly pumpkin curry with chickpeas, coconut milk and spinach, served with rice.

40 min · Easy · British Jump to method

Ingredients

4 servings

600 g pumpkin
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
2 cm piece ginger
400 g tin chickpeas
400 ml coconut milk
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
100 g spinach
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp vegetable oil
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
300 g basmati rice

Nutrition	Per servingEstimated
Calories	673 kcal
Protein	15.1 g
Carbohydrates	81.7 g
Fat	30.5 g
Saturated fat	19.1 g
Fibre	10.2 g
Sugar	8.9 g
Sodium	420 mg

Why this works

Moderate-energy meal with good fibre and plant nutrients, but relatively high in saturated fat from coconut milk and likely higher in sodium if salted generously.

Beta-carotene. Pumpkin provides beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A for eye and immune health.

Iron and folate. Chickpeas and spinach contribute folate, iron and magnesium, supporting red blood cell production and energy metabolism.

Saturated fat. Coconut milk is the main source of saturated fat, so this dish may be less suitable for those watching cholesterol intake.

Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
Let the oil shimmer rather than smoke; if it starts to spit hard or smell acrid, the pan is too hot and the onion will catch.
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Stir now and then so the onion softens evenly without browning at the edges, and reduce the heat slightly if it starts to colour too quickly.
Stir in the garlic and ginger, then cook for 1 minute.
Keep the garlic and ginger moving through the pan so they do not stick; they should smell fragrant, not bitter, and lose their raw sharpness.
Add the curry powder, ground cumin and turmeric, and cook for 30 seconds.
Watch for the spices to darken slightly and become aromatic, but do not let them sit dry for too long or they may taste burnt and dusty.
Tip in the pumpkin and chickpeas, then stir to coat in the spices.
Turn the pieces well so every side is coated, which helps the pumpkin take on flavour and stops the chickpeas from breaking down too early.
Add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk, then season with salt and black pepper.
Stir from the bottom to lift any spice stuck to the pan, and make sure the liquid comes just over the vegetables so they cook evenly.
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
Keep the heat low enough for a gentle bubble rather than a hard boil; a knife should slide into the pumpkin with very little resistance when ready.
Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
Add the spinach in handfuls if needed so it wilts into the sauce without clumping or watering it down.
Meanwhile, cook the basmati rice according to the packet instructions.
Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear to avoid a gummy texture, and rest it covered for a few minutes after cooking so the grains fluff up.
Serve the pumpkin curry hot with the rice.
Taste the curry just before serving and adjust salt or pepper if needed; it should be thick enough to coat the rice rather than pool thinly on the plate.

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