Recently, after the Halloween pumpkin made an appearance in our house, I found myself with lots of leftover pumpkin flesh, and decided to put it to good use in a new recipe! If you don’t have pumpkin, feel free to substitute sweet potato or butternut squash in this curry recipe, both would be delicious! I love butter beans almost as much as chickpeas, and in this dish they add a lovely element to the texture as well as a plant protein punch!

Recipe (Serves 4-5)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 white onion
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, turmeric and garam masala
• 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
• 1 medium courgette
• 2 cups of chunks of pumpkin flesh
• 1 400g can of butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 400ml tin of coconut milk (either reduced or full fat, whichever you prefer!)
• To Serve: Servings of Brown Basmati Rice + Fresh handfuls of spinach

Method

1. Prepare your vegetables and garlic first. Peel and finely dice the garlic clove.
2. Prepare the onion by peeling and finely chopping. Next, dice up the courgette.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pot on a medium heat, and then tip in the garlic and red onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
4. Combine the spices in a small bowl, and then tip them into the pot. Cook for another 3-4 minutes so the onions are coated in spices.
5. Add the courgette and pumpkin chunks, and cook for another couple of minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, followed by the water and butter beans, and stir.
7. Add the coconut milk and spinach leaves, and stir both into the curry. Season with a pinch of sea salt and a twist of black pepper.
8. Bring the curry to the boil, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Check at 20 minutes to ensure the pumpkin is cooked – pierce the flesh of one of the chunks with a fork, and it should be soft. If not, simmer for another 5 minutes.
10. Hey presto – your curry is ready! Serve with a side of brown basmati rice, or your choice of wholegrains!

Enjoy guys! Tag me if you try this recipe out – @theirishbalance on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook!

Ciara 🙂 x