This recipe is great for summer heat and those with menopausal signs and symptoms. Enjoy this delish recipe!
If you’re using uncooked adzuki beans, soak them for between one and four hours, rinse them thoroughly and cook for 45 minutes before adding to the curry (uncooked chickpeas will need an overnight soak and the same or slightly more cooking time). Any type of pumpkin (winter squash) would be fine. This curry has quite a spicy kick – use less chilli if you prefer less heat. I buy bags of kaffir lime leaves in season and store them in the freezer – they keep for a couple of months.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium brown onion
- splash olive oil or 1 tbspn ghee
- 3cm knob of ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 hot chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground tumeric
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp tamarind puree
- half a small to medium-sized pumpkin, cut into large 4-5cm pieces (leave the skin on)
- 1 cup adzuki beans
- 400 ml can coconut milk
- 400 gram can whole tomatoes, chopped
- 8 kaffir lime leaves, 4 of these finely shredded
- juice of 1 limelime wedges, sea-salt and a handful of coriander, mint and/or Thai basil to serve
Method:
Heat oil or ghee in a large heavy based pot over low-medium heat. Add onion and cook for five minutes, then add ginger and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tumeric, cumin and coriander and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes (or add them whole and roughly break them up in the pot) and tamarind puree. Cook for five minutes, then add the coconut milk and whole kaffir lime leaves. Return to boil then reduce to low simmer.
Add the pumpkin pieces and cook for about 8 minutes, checking on the pumpkin – you don’t want it to turn to mush. Add the adzuki beans about two minutes before you think the pumpkin is just cooked. If in doubt, turn the heat off as the pumpkin will continue to steam with the lid on. Stir the lime juice and shredded kaffir lime leaves through before serving.
Serve with rice, sea-salt, lime wedges and handfuls of coriander, mint or Thai basil.
Serves 4.
