Pumpkin curry with chickpeas, lentil and spinach

This summer, to keep Emma busy and engaged, we grew a couple of easy vegetables in our garden at home. Pumpkin was one of them. We planted a couple of them with the hope that at least one would survive, but to our good luck they all did. So we ended up with a lot of pumpkin.

Here is an easy, yum, comforting and healthy recipe which is particular helpful midweek, when you are tired and very tempted to order take-out. Note the long list of adjectives before the word ‘recipe’ above, because this recipe is no-fail and a winner. Give it a try and you will know what I meant by that 🙂

Feeds: 4 decently hungry people | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp oil
5 cups of pumpkin, cubed
1 white onion chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 can tomato block [alternative: tomato puree will work too]
1 tsp chilli/paprika powder
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
pinch of sugar
salt to taste
1 large handful of spinach leaves chopped [alternative: frozen spinach is fine too]
1 cup boiled chickpeas
1 cup red lentil

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat oil, fry onion and once golden add ginger-garlic paste.
2. Next add turmeric, chilli, cumin powders, salt and sugar and fry. Add tomato blocks/puree and cook till oil layer forms on the top (note: this happens pretty quickly).
3. Add chickpeas, lentil, pumpkin, spinach, coconut milk and stir. Cover and cook until pumpkin and lentils are cooked.
4. Serve with steamed rice.