Vegan Pumpkin Curry with Green Beans (North Indian Style)
A sublime vegan pumpkin curry rich with sweet and savoury flavours but mild enough for the whole family to enjoy. Perfect served with brown rice or cauliflower rice
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy based pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté over a medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes until soft and golden. (You could also do this in the Instant Pot, set to Sauté)
1 onion, 2 tablespoon coconut oil
Add garlic, ginger, green chilli (if using) and curry leaves and stir for 1 minute.
3 garlic cloves, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1-2 green chilis (optional), 1 small handful of curry leaves
Add curry powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder (if using) and salt. Stir until fragrant (30-45 seconds).
1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder (optional)
Stir the pumpkin in to coat it in the spice mixture. Then add the stock, coconut milk, tamarind puree and nigella seeds and stir well. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat to low, put the lid on and simmer for 40-45 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the pumpkin is soft and the flavours have blended to a rich sauce. (Or for Instant Pot, close the lid, seal, and set to Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes).
450 g pumpkin, 200 ml vegetable stock, 100 ml coconut milk, 2 teaspoon tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
Add the green beans and dried mango powder and cook for a final 5 minutes with the lid on. (Check the liquid level when you add the green beans. If there is not enough liquid left, you may need to add a little more water or coconut milk to ensure the green beans can cook. If there is too much liquid (your pumpkin was still very fresh and did not soak up as much liquid), boil at a higher heat with the lid off instead.) (For Instant Pot, once cooked, leave for 2 minutes, then do a quick release, add these ingredients and sauté for 5 more minutes).
100 g green beans, ½ teaspoon dry mango powder
Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Garnish with a drizzle of coconut milk (or the cream from the top of the coconut milk), extra nigella seeds and coriander (cilantro)leaves and serve with rice (or cauliflower rice) and maybe some poppadoms or Indian flatbreads, like paratha or roti, too.
Thermomix Instructions
Place the onion, garlic, ginger, green chili and oil to the TM jug and blitz 3 secs / sp. 5. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then set to 5 mins. / 120°C / sp. 1.
2 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1-2 green chilis (optional), 1 small handful of curry leaves
Add the curry powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, salt and curry leaves, and set to 30 secs. / 120°C / sp. Stir.
1 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder (optional)
Stir the grated pumpkin in with a spatula, making sure to dislodge any bits stuck to the bottom. Then add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, tamarind puree and nigella seeds. Set to 30 secs. / Rev. sp. 2, then set to 40 mins. / 100°C / sp. Rev. 0.5.
1 small handful of curry leaves, 450 g pumpkin, 200 ml vegetable stock, 100 ml coconut milk, 2 teaspoon tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
Stir in the green beans and dry mango powder with a spatula, then set to 5 mins. / 100°C / sp. Rev. 0.5. (add a little more water if it looks too dry – it should be saucey looking).
100 g green beans, ½ teaspoon dry mango powder
Serve garnished with more nigella seeds and some coriander leaves (cilantro).
Notes
You can substitute the green beans with cauliflower florets or courgette, cut into half moons, or add other vegetables as well. Baby leaf spinach stirred in at the end would be delicious as well!
The curry leaves and mango powder are not essential. If you don’t have them at home, just leave them out. Tamarind paste gives a pleasant tartness to counter-balance the sweetness of the pumpkin. If you can’t find any, then substitute with pomegranate molasses or perhaps some lime juice.
If your pumpkin is not very sweet, you might need to add a pinch of sugar to the curry to bring out more of the flavours. Taste and see what you think.
Remember to wear protective gloves or wash your hands frequently when preparing raw pumpkin to avoid irritation and staining.
Other condiments to serve with this dish are plant-based raita and mango chutney.