This recipe forms part of the plant-based meal planner created in partnership with New World. I cook the pumpkin separately to the rest of this curry so it absorbs the stock flavour and remains distinct. This also helps it retain its shape. The curry can be made in advance and, as with most curries, the flavour will actually get better with a bit of chill-out time. I like to make a big batch and freeze half for later. The spinach can easily be swapped out for silverbeet or kale. Any green leafy vegetable gives a nice colour contrast and nutritional boost. Leftover cooked tempeh can be kept in the fridge and used in lunches for protein and satisfaction boost, which is essentially the role it plays in this salad. The Caesar dressing can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge. It also makes a great healthy dip for celery and carrot sticks; just use a little less water if you want a nice thick consistency.
At
we have an extensive range of free from and gluten free foods, usually grouped so they’re easy to find in the aisle. Browse our chilled section for vegan options like tempeh and tasty marinated tofu. For certainty around organics look for recognised symbols like BioGro, Demeter, AsureQuality, Organic Farm NZ in your local New World supermarket.
Brigit Corson, New World Fresh Expert
Ingredients
| ¼ | Crown pumpkin, about 1 kg, cut into bite-sized chunks with skin removed (Main) |
| 3 tsp | Massel vegan beef stock powder, or another vegan stock powder (Main) |
| 2 tsp | Cider vinegar |
Curry sauce
| 1 | Large onion, chopped |
| 4 Tbsp | Rice bran oil |
| 30 g | Turmeric, finely chopped, or use 3-4 tsp powdered (Main) |
| 30 g | Fresh ginger, finely chopped (3 Tbsp) (Main) |
| 30 g | Garlic, finely chopped (3 Tbsp) (Main) |
| 1 ½ Tbsp | Coriander seeds (Main) |
| 3 tsp | Cumin seeds (Main) |
| 2 tsp | Fennel seeds (Main) |
| ½ tsp | Kashmiri chilli, or another chilli powder (Main) |
| ½ tsp | Black pepper |
| 1 | Cinnamon stick, or 2 tsp ground cinnamon (Main) |
| 6 | Cardamom pods (Main) |
| 400 g | Canned tomatoes (Main) |
| ⅓ cup | Raw cashew nuts (Main) |
| 1 cup | Water |
| 2 tsp | Salt |
| 500 g | Spinach, or silverbeet, cut into large pieces (Main) |
| 250 g | Black rice, we used Pams Super Foods instant black rice |
| ¾ cup | Roasted cashew nuts (Main) |
Directions
- Simmer pumpkin in a covered pot with 2½ cups boiling water, stock and vinegar for about 20 minutes, until tender.
- For the curry sauce, gently fry the onion in oil for 5 minutes to soften, then add the turmeric, ginger and garlic (I blitz these in a nutribullet to make it easy). Cook another 5 minutes. Finely grind the coriander seed, cumin seed, fennel seed, chilli powder, cinnamon and cardamom in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder and add to the mix.
- Blend tomatoes, raw cashews, water and salt super smooth then add to onion mix along with liquid from the cooked pumpkin. Simmer for 15 minutes then add spinach and cook a further 5 minutes until softened.
- Add cooked pumpkin, stirring through gently just before serving (so it doesn't break up too much).
- Cook the rice according to packet instructions.
- Gently crush some roasted cashews and stir through the cooked rice just before serving with the curry.
