Pumpkin & spinach curry

Serves: 4 Ready in: 1 hr

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

5cm piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 long red chilli, roughly chopped

3tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

1tsp cumin seeds

2 onions, finely diced

1tsp ground turmeric

2tsp ground coriander

400g can chopped tomatoes

(or sieved tomatoes)

250ml vegetable stock

900g-1kg peeled deseeded pumpkin (or butternut squash), cut into 4cm chunks

400ml can coconut milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

200g baby spinach leaves

1 Put the garlic, ginger and chilli into a small food processor and blitz to a rough paste. (Alternatively, grate the garlic and ginger and finely chop the chilli, then mix together.) Set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over a high heat. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds and stir well. Once they begin to sizzle, add the onions to the pan and sauté over a high heat for 4-5 mins or until just starting to caramelise at the edges.

3 Add the chilli-garlic-ginger paste to the pan and stir well. Cook, stirring, for 1 min, then add the ground spices and ½ tsp salt. Stir again and lower the heat, so the spices can cook gently.

4 When you can really smell those spices, it’s time to add the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir well and add the pumpkin (or squash). Increase the heat and bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Pop a lid on the pan and leave to cook gently for 10 mins.

5 Remove the lid from the sauté pan and stir in the coconut milk. Simmer, uncovered, for another 15 mins or until the pumpkin (or squash) is tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

6 When you’re about to serve up, stir through the spinach. Once it is wilted, you are ready to go. Serve with rice or warm naan bread sprinkled with chopped coriander.