This isn’t a curry for anyone in a hurry, but geez it’s good if you start it the night before you plan to eat it.
It’s even better if you’ve got a slow cooker, I love mine (in case hadn’t already noticed).
If using a slow cooker this can take all day while you are at work, or out and about. If you are using a saucepan this recipe is better suited to a day where you will be around the house to keep an eye on things.
Ingredients
1 cup dried green split peas
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate)
2 cloves garlic
1 dried chilli
2 cups water
500 grams pumpkin
1 teaspoon oil
2cm piece ginger
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1/2 teaspoon nigella (onion) seeds
2 tablespoons grated coconut
Water
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh coriander leaves to serve
Method
Start this recipe 24 hours before you plan to eat it
In a bowl combine dried split peas with water and baking soda.
Cover and soak overnight in the refrigerator.
First thing in the morning, drain the water from the peas. Place the peas in a slow cooker or in a large saucepan. Crush the garlic and shred the chilli. Add garlic and chilli to the peas, cover with 2 cups of water and set the slow cooker to it’s lowest temperature. If using a saucepan simmer over very low heat. Cover and cook until the peas are soft.
When the peas are soft enough to squash against the side of the pan with a spoon, turn up the heat.
Peel and slice the pumpkin into bite size pieces.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan.
Add the ginger and all of the spices to the pan.
Fry the spices until they are smelling fragrant.
I prefer whole spices in this recipe, but feel free to grind them to a paste at this stage if you prefer.
If you grind your spices return them to the pan, and add 2 tablespoons of grated coconut. Shredded coconut is fine.
Stir well and gently toast the coconut until just beginning to brown.
Add the sliced pumpkin to the pan and coat well with the spices.
Add a couple of tablespoons of water, stir, and add the pumpkin into the cooked peas in the slow cooker.
Cover with water and continue to cook until the pumpkin is soft and beginning to break up. Leave the lid off the slow cooker so some of the liquid can evaporate.
Taste the curry and add salt.
Serve the curry with rice, or with Indian-style flat breads like chapati.
Sprinkle with leaves of fresh coriander.
Yoghurt chapati
The yoghurt in this recipe makes the chapatis a little lighter. You can replace the yoghurt with milk or water.
Combine 1 cup of plain flour with 3 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt.
Mix very well and knead the dough for at least 5 minutes until smooth.
Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into pieces about the size of a table tennis ball.
Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Do NOT oil the pan.
Sprinkle a little flour onto your bench and roll each ball of dough into a very thin, flat round.
Place a chapati in your hot pan and cook for 30 sec to a minute on the first side. The chapati will begin to bubble and puff up. Turn the chapati over and use your tongs to push down into the pan. The chapatis are cooked when the bubbles are well browned and just starting to get crunchy.
