Pumpkin part 2 - pumpkin and bean curry

Perhaps not surprisingly, I hadn't managed to use a whole pumpkin in my previous pumpkin tagine. So I had some leftover cooked pumpkin to use up, and this Indian-inspired dish turned out to be the answer.

I was actually planning something quite different, but I discovered at the start of the cooking process that I'd left the tin opener at work (don't ask...) So I couldn't open most of the tins in the cupboard. Luckily the tins of kidney beans turned out to have ring pulls on them. (I usually save kidney beans for chilli rather than curry, but I couldn't see any reason not to put them in curry, and I didn't have too many other options.)

The colour contrast between the kidney beans and pumpkin worked really well, I thought. And it tasted better than I expected, too.

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced
1 tsp vegetable oil
2cm piece root ginger
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
450g raw or cooked pumpkin, cut into large cubes and peeled (see previous recipe for cooking instructions).
2 tins kidney beans or other tinned pulses (eg black beans), drained

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the sliced onion. Cook over a medium heat for five minutes, then add the ginger and cook for another minute, then add the spices and cook for a minute more.

Add the pumpkin and the drained pulses. If you're using raw pumpkin, add about half a cup of water, cover the pan tightly and cook for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked (keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get too dry). If you're using cooked pumpkin, it should only need a few minutes to warm through.

This makes a fairly dry curry, but you can add a bit of water, a tin of tomatoes or even some coconut milk if you feel like it. Taste before serving and adjust the spices  if necessary.

Serve with rice or Indian breads.