Name: Squash, chickpea & coconut curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kabocha, red kuri, crown prince or butternut squash peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm-thick slices; 3 tbsp coconut or rapeseed oil; 5 tbsp tamarind sauce; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 2 tbsp desiccated coconut; 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tbsp dried or fresh curry leaves; 1 red onion sliced; thumb-sized piece of ginger grated; 1 garlic clove crushed; 1 green chilli sliced; 1 lemongrass stalk, lightly bashed; 400g can chickpeas drained; 1 large tomato sliced; 1 tbsp roasted curry powder (see recipe, right); 1 tsp turmeric freshly grated if possible, or use 1 tsp ground; 400ml can coconut milk; 3 large handfuls of kale; small bunch of coriander leaves picked; 2 tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional); flatbreads to serve; 10g basmati rice; 20g coriander seeds; 15g cumin seeds; 10g black peppercorns; 5g fenugreek seeds; ½ tsp cloves; ½ tsp green cardamom pods, seeds only

Squash, chickpea & coconut curry served in a wok

1 kabocha, red kuri, crown prince or butternut squash
peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm-thick slices
3 tbsp coconut or rapeseed oil
5 tbsp tamarind sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp dried or fresh curry leaves
1 red onion
sliced
thumb-sized piece of ginger
grated
1 garlic clove
crushed
1 green chilli
sliced
1 lemongrass
stalk, lightly bashed
400g can chickpeas
drained
1 large tomato
sliced
1 tbsp roasted curry powder
(see recipe, right)
1 tsp turmeric
freshly grated if possible, or use 1 tsp ground
400ml can coconut milk
3 large handfuls of kale
small bunch of coriander
leaves picked
2 tbsp toasted coconut
flakes (optional)
flatbreads
to serve

For the roasted curry powder

10g basmati rice
20g coriander seeds
15g cumin seeds
10g black peppercorns
5g fenugreek seeds
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp green cardamom
pods, seeds only

Method

step 1
For the curry powder, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and toast the rice, stirring, until it starts to brown. Tip in the rest of the spices and toast for 3-5 mins until brown but not burned. Using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, blitz or grind to a fine powder. Pass through a sieve. Will keep for up to three months in an airtight container.
step 2
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp of the oil, a pinch of salt, 3 tbsp of the tamarind sauce, the chilli flakes and coconut. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 mins, or until tender.
step 3
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry the mustard seeds for a minute or so until they sizzle and pop, then add the curry leaves and cook for a few more seconds until they crackle. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and a pinch of salt and stir for a few minutes until the onion softens. Tip in the chickpeas, tomato, curry powder and turmeric and keep stirring for 5-8 mins, until the tomato breaks down.
step 4
Pour the coconut milk into the wok and stir, cooking for about 5 mins until slightly reduced. Add the remaining 2 tbsp tamarind, taste for seasoning, then add the kale, stirring for a couple of minutes until softened. Divide the squash between bowls, ladle in the curry sauce, then top with the coriander and coconut flakes, if using. Serve with warmed flatbreads.