Pumpkin & Butter Bean Curry

Inspired by an old cookbook recipe, this vibrant curry is all about using what you have on hand.  I swapped chickpeas for butter beans and kidney beans, and jarred roasted capsicums worked beautifully in place of fresh. Feel free to get creative and adapt the ingredients to your liking, but don't skip roasting the pumpkin (and carrot, if you're using). This step adds a deep, sweet flavour that makes this curry truly irresistible.

Ingredients - serves 4

• 1 medium pumpkin, peeled and cut into small bites
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small bites (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 -2 tbsp curry powder, depending on strength
• Large red capsicum, cut into small pieces (or sub for roasted capsicum from a jar)
• red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 5cm knob fresh ginger, grated (or used 1 tsp dried ginger)
• 5 cm knob fresh turmeric, grated (optional)  (or used 1 tsp dried turmeric)
• 400g organic coconut milk
• pinch or two of sea salt
• 400g can butter beans (or cannelini beans)
• 400g can kidney beans (or black beans or brown lentils)
• few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• fresh coriander or parsely, to serve
• brown rice & yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C
2. Toss the cubed pumpkin, carrot & capsicum (if you're using raw) in a lined baking tray with olive oil and season. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning halfway. You want them slightly golden.
3. Heat a pan on medium heat with oil, add cumin seeds, curry powder, capsicum (if using from a jar), onion, garlic, turmeric if using & ginger and cook until soft and slightly browned. about 10 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk, salt, half a can water and the beans/lentils and simmer gently until warmed through. Add chopped up fresh spinach and cook until slightly wilted.
5. Add the roasted pumpkin, carrot & capsicum and cook for another minute or so, just to warm everything through.
6. Add fresh herbs and serve over brown rice with a splash of yogurt. Enjoy!