Recipe #2 - Pumpkin Curry

I'm working with a new rule: if it has to cook for more then 30minutes it has to serve at least two meals (or be very, very worth the effort).
During the weekends I have a bit more time, ideal to do some batch cooking and fill up the freezer, some meals are great for this like pasta sauce, curries, stews.
After that it's just a matter of reheating and boiling up some rice, pasta,... Doesn't get much easier then that, a man could do it... ;-)

This recipe is a family favourite, very tasty and freezes well.

If you're Dutch chances are you've never cooked with pumpkin before, you might have to look for it, it's very worth it. Keep a couple of seeds, scatter them in your garden (no need to properly sow), neglect and they will take over. They like to climb, give them a structure against a wall, they wouldn't need much room at all. All my pumpkin plants are self sown, indestructible and everywhere. Pumpkins store very well and will keep you cooking, baking and roasting all through Autumn, Winter and Spring.














Recipe, using a small to medium size pumpkin.

Finely dice up then fry up a brown onion until it starts to brown. Add two table spoons of mild red curry paste or powder to activate the spices then add about 500grams of diced chuck steak (ask your butcher, it’s cheap and falls to pieces when cooked for long). When the meat has browned/sealed add the pumpkin cut up in chunky squares. I tend to take of the skin with a peeler, but skin on also works, add to the meat and fry for a couple of minutes to bring out the sweet flavour.

Add a can of coconut cream/milk and a can of diced tomatoes. Bring to boil. Add half a cup of red lentils. Red lentils will dissolve into the curry, they're cheap, healthy, a great filler and thickener of your sauce without changing the taste. Bring to a very slow boil and leave to cook until the pumpkin is very soft and starts to fall apart. Serve with naan or rice.