This creamy vegan curry is a delight on a cold night. It’s full of warm flavours, buttery roasted cashews and sweet pumpkin. The curry paste is quick and simple to make, you should have it on the table in 45 minutes!

I prefer roasting the garlic first as it results in a sweet, more rounded flavour, but if you’re short on time you could skip that step. I make this using butternut pumpkin as it’s sweet flavour goes so well with the spices, in other parts of the world they refer to it as a squash. Pumpkin is a squash so it’s all the same right? Anyway, you can use any firm variety of pumpkin you like – I just love this variety.

I’m trying to have more vegan meals and vegetarian days this week. Now that my body has adjusted to the lack of grains and legumes I think I can be less reliant on meat to stay full. The cashews in this add an extra protein hit. Plus both the cashews and coconut milk have a decent fat content which I find makes me feel more full.

Serve this with cauliflower rice, any kind of rice or flat bread.

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic

1-2 dried chillies (you choose your heat level)

2 Tbs shallots or spring onion

1 Tbs grated ginger

1.5 Tbs coriander root and stem (wash well)

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

2.5 tsps turmeric powder

1 tsp curry powder

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm pieces (4 cups diced)* can use your favourite pumpkin

1 cup stock

1 can coconut milk

1 tsp tamari or soy

3 cups baby spinach

1 lime

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 c. Once preheated roast garlic cloves in their skin for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Cool and peel.

Spread the cashews on an oven tray and roast for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Place the garlic, onion, ginger, coriander root and seed, peppercorns and dried chillies in a mortar and pestle and use it to crush to a smooth paste. Add the turmeric and curry powder and mix well.

Place a medium pot on the stove on medium high heat. Once hot add the oil and curry paste. Fry the paste, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add the pumpkin and stir to coat in the curry paste. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and simmer for a further ten minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Season with the tamari and a squeeze of lime. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add spinach leaves and cashews and stir until spinach is wilted.

Serve over rice or cauliflower rice, garnish with coriander leaves.