Pumpkin, Black-eyed Bean and Coconut Curry
Enjoy Meera Sodha's creamy vegetable coconut curry for dinner tonight. This recipe is loaded with pumpkin, black beans and plenty of warming spices.
From the book
Fresh India: 130 Quick, Easy and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
The go-to guide for vegetarian Indian cooking
130 stunning recipes with a fresh and light feel
Beautiful puddings with Indian-inspired flavours
Introduction
The smell of roasted pumpkin, and curry leaves sizzling in coconut oil, is enough to make anyone want to go to Kerala, which is where a variation of this dish, known as ‘olan’, originates. The sweet pumpkin, earthy beans and creamy coconut come together to create a gentle curry, perfect for eating in England in the autumn, when a variety of pumpkins and squashes abound.
Ingredients
| 1.2kg | pumpkin or squash |
| rapeseed oil | |
| 1 tbsp | garam masala |
| salt and ground black pepper | |
| coconut or rapeseed oil | |
| 1 tsp | mustard seeds |
| 2 | green finger chillies, slit lengthways |
| 1 | large onion, halved and thinly sliced |
| 3 | cloves of garlic, crushed |
| 1x 400g | tin of black-eyed beans, drained |
| 150g | ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges |
| ⅓ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 x 400ml | tin of coconut milk |
| Optional: | |
| 10 | fresh curry leaves |
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6 and line two baking trays with foil.
Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out and discard the seeds, then cut it into crescents around 2cm at the widest part. Transfer to a big bowl, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with the garam masala, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Toss to coat evenly, then arrange in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, or until soft and tender.
Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large lidded frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the slit green chillies and the onion. Cook for 12 minutes, or until the onion is soft and golden, then add the garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the drained beans and stir to mix together. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes until soft and jammy around the edges.
Next, add the turmeric, ⅓ teaspoon of black pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and the coconut milk. Tip the roasted pumpkin into the pan and stir to mix. Cover with the lid and leave to heat through for 5 minutes. Check for salt and chilli, adjusting if you wish, then transfer to a serving dish.
If you like, you can finish off the dish with a quick curry leaf tarka: put 2 tablespoons of oil into a small frying pan over a medium to high heat. When hot, throw in the curry leaves and let them crackle and turn translucent in the oil. Pour over the pumpkin, then serve.
