Pumpkin Curry

 

Finally I put down the recipe for the Pumpkin Curry. To be honest, I really should call it “my curry” cause it’s far from a traditional curry.

I’m pretty relaxed with my cooking, as you probably have noticed. I take ingredients, traditional to various ethnic cuisines and combine them in the same meal in a way I think it could work. And it usually does. So here, curry paste, chili, pumpkin, olive oil, chickpeas, swiss chard, lemon… all found themselves together in one bowl.

The curry came out very creamy, a bit tangy, pretty spicy and very flavorful thanks to curry paste, and seasoning I put on toasted chickpeas. I mellowed it all down a bit with swiss chard and coconut milk and I think that olive oil went wonderfully with the whole thing, however weird that my sound.

I found this curry, that is simple to prepare yet complex in flavors, so delicious and satisfying. A complete meal in one bowl, and if you’re up to trying Thai-Mediterranean fusion curry, this is it!

[recipe-foody]

Servings: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp red curry paste
3 cups cubed pumpkin
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup leaks chopped sideways
2 spring onions
Spices: curry, chili, ground coriander
Himalayan salt
1 tbsp Tamari or Shoyu soy sauce
small bunch of parsley
bunch of swiss chard
mung bean or rice noodles
lemon juice, or lime juice

Method

1. Fry curry paste, pumpkin and 1 cup chickpeas on olive oil, season with 1 pinch of salt

2. When pumpkin is slightly browned, add water and coconut milk to cover the vegetables, two pinches of curry, one pinch chili and coriander.
3. Cook until pumpkin is tender. It should take around 20 minutes. Then add soy sauce, chopped leeks and spring onions. Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste if it’s seasoned enough. Add more spices and salt if needed.

4. In the mean time, cook the swisss chard, al dente. Let it boil for around 4 minutes. It has to be fairly soft but still keep the bright green color.
5. Cook the noodled according to instructions on the package. Mung bean noodles that I used here only need to be soaked in boiled water for 3 minutes.
6. Toast another cup of chickpeas that were seasoned with olive oil, salt and as much curry and chili you can tolerate.

 

7. Transfer 2/3 of curry into a blender, add parsley leaves and blend it until smooth. Mix two parts together. Add lemon juice to taste.
8. Now we’re ready to assemble the bowls
9. Put 2 ladles of curry into each bowl, divide swiss chard, noodles, toasted spiced chickpeas, more parsley and coconut milk between them.

Note: I always skin the chickpeas. It will make them easier to digest but also the curry will be creamier and the whole thing more delicious. It’s so easy. Just squeeze each chickpea between fingers and it will pop out. Yes, a bit tedious job, but totally worth it.

If you like creamy and spicy bowls like this, try my recipe for Spicy Lentil Curry Soup.

[/recipe-foody]