Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin curry can be added to rice, pasta or meat.

Spice mix

coriander seeds – 3 tbsp

cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

fennel seeds – 1 tbsp

dried red chillies – 1 tbsp

cinnamon stick – 1, broken up

cardamon pods – 1 tbsp

whole cloves – 1 tsp

ground turmeric – 1 tbsp

For the curry

pumpkin – 2 lbs, cubed

onion – 1 lb, sliced

chillies – 2 fresh, chopped

garlic – 4 cloves, squashed

vegetable oil

black pepper – 1tsp

turmeric – 1/4tsp

thin coconut milk – 1/2 pt

thick coconut milk – 1/4 pt

lime juice – 1 tbsp

Make the spice mix first. heat a frying pan without oil and toast the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until fragrant. Remove from heat, add the chillies, cinnamon and cloves, and grind till fine. Finally, mix in the turmeric and store in an airtight jar.

Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and chilly together. Make sure you don’t let the garlic go brown. When the onion is soft add a tbsp of the spice mix and stir briefly, then add the pumpkin, pepper, turmeric and thin coconut milk. Simmer until the pumpkin is done – this may take as little as ten minutes, so keep checking. Add the thick coconut milk and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with lime juice.

Make coconut milk from a creamed coconut block. For thin, use equal quantities of creamed coconut and water. For thick, the proportions are one-quarter water and three-quarters creamed coconut. You can omit the coconut milk and use just water instead.

Add water until desired consistency.