Hearty curry stew with aubergine, pumpkin and kale

The great thing about a stew is that is can be made with lots of different veggies - for example the exact veggies that you happen to have at home! These days I want to have pumpkin in almost everything - and so I added them to this stew as well.

Adding some pre cooked legumes when the stew is almost done is a great way to add som extra protein (and taste!). And then I always want to add something green - kale is a favourite! Best thing is to add the kale once you have removed the pot from the heat, that way the kale will stay green and perfectly soft.

You could serve the stew just like it is, or with your choice of grain och pseudo-grain; like sorghum, quinoa, naked oats or millet, for a even more filling meal.

And last but not least - don’t forget the golden rule when it comes to stews; they are even better the day after when the flavours have had the chance to REALLY evolve!! Now, time to cook.

Hearty curry stew with aubergine, pumpkin and kale

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 Tbsp paprika powder

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 aubergine

1 small pumpkin, Hokkaido or Muscat

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

500 g crushed tomatoes

400 ml coconut milk

230 g / 4 dl / 1.6 cups pre cooked chickpeas

100 g kale, rough stalk removed and leaves shredded

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

salt and freshly ground black peppar

For serving

2 dl / 0.8 cups sorghum, uncooked

fresh cilantro

How to

Cook the sorghum according to instructions on the packaging.

Fry the spices in the oil in a thick bottom pot at medium heat until fragrant. Peel and finely chop onion and garlic, add to the pot at fry until soft.

Cut the aubergine in bite size pieces. Wash the pumpkin then half it, remove seeds and cut in to bite size pieces. Add the aubergine and pumpkin to the stew. Fry for 2 minutes together with the ginger. Add the crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the aubergine and pumpkin have softened. Salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the chickpeas. Add to the stew together with the kale. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve the stew together with cooked sorghum and cilantro.

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

Curried carrot and coconut soup - with courgette and parsley topping

This pretty thing, a creamy soup to lighten up the darker season that awaits here up in the north, is exactly what I need this time of year. The moment of cuddling up in the sofa with a warming, nourishing and comforting bowl of soup in my hands, looking out over a landscape with the most colourful leaves is one of my favourite things about the autumn. 

 

Curried carrot and coconut soup - with courgette and parsley topping

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 yellow onion

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tbsp paprika powder 

1/2 tsp chili flakes 

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger 

5 big carrots

2 dl red lentils 

400 ml coconut milk 

600 ml water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil 

salt to taste 

Courgette and parsley topping

2 small courgettes

1 tbsp cold pressed sesame oil

1 handful of fresh parsley 

2 tbsp sesame seeds

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

How to

Peel and finely chop the onion. Fry in coconut oil, on medium heat, until soft in a big pot.

Add the ginger and all the spices and let fry for another minute until spices become fragrant. Wash the carrots and cut in to smaller pieces. Rinse the lentils.

Add carrots, lentils and water to the pot. You might want to add a bit more water - all of the carrots should be covered with water! Let simmer for about 20 minutes, until carrots and lentils are soft. Remove from heat and mix until completely smooth using an immersion blender. Add the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, bring back pot to the heat, and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Add more spices and salt to taste. 

Topping: Spiralize, or finely chop, the courgette. Chop the parsley. Mix courgette and parsley in a bowl, drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Give it a toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve as topping, together with some extra sesame seeds, on the soup. 

Good luck!