PUMPKIN, SPINACH, CHICKPEA CURRY WITH HISPI
So here is an easy mid week dinner for you.
I made mine with a pumpkin I had grown all summer! #proudparent Any pumpkin or squash will do.
Hispi cabbage is sweeter and cooks quicker than a normal cabbage, and it’s delicious.
As with most curries I recommend low and slow, as this is how you get the best flavours, but it can be done in 40 mins if you’re in a rush.
Makes 6 portions curry
1kg Squash or Pumpkin
3 tbsp Rapeseed or Sunflower oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumb of garlic, grated
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tin coconut milk
1 tin chickpeas (use 1/2 water in tin too!)
200g frozen spinach
Salt
1. Peel, deseed and chop the pumpkin into roughly 3cm chunks.
2. Dice onions and heat the oil in a pan, fry off your onions for 6 minutes.
3. Add your minced garlic to the onions along with the grated thumb of garlic. Fry for four mins gently on a lowish heat - you want them to be golden but not to brown too much. Add 1 tsp of salt.
4. Put in the cumin and coriander seeds toast for three minutes (you can use ground instead)
5. Add chopped pumpkin and leave for 10 mins with the lid on.
6. Add the chickpeas and 1/2 water from the can, the coconut milk. Simmer for 10 mins.
7. Add frozen spinach, put lid on for 20 minutes and simmer.
9. When pumpkin is soft the curry is ready to eat but the longer and slower the tastier it will be.
10. Taste and season with salt. Serve with rice or flatbread, and the hispi cabbage below if you like!
GRILLED HISPI
1.5 Hispi cabbage (1/4 cabbage per person)
2 tbsp ghee or rapeseed oil
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1. Boil a pot of salted water. Quarter the hispi cabbage (1/4 per portion). Cook in the boiling water for 4 mins. Drain on tea towel. Fry in batches in a frying pan in a splash of rapeseed oil on a high heat until nice and brown on each side.
2. Toast off coriander seeds in a dry pan, add 2 tbsp ghee or oil take off heat (make sure ghee is melted), tip into small bowl add lemon juice, chilli flakes and salt. Pour over the hispi, serve.
