Culinary Escapade

It is now Halloween and it is cold and wet in Montreal. It is 10 AM and I have the lights on because it is so overcast that it feels as though it is the middle of the night.

When the weather gets like this nothing warms my soul more than a dish of creamy curry over a bed of rice. As it is now pumpkin and squash season here in Quebec, what better curry dish than one that has butternut squash and chickpeas in it. You can substitute the squash for pumpkin if you like. It is a change from the meat curries I normally make and gives my body a break from all that tough to break down meat. Although I am sworn carnivore, I think if I could curry all my vegetables all the time, I would not complain about the lack of meat.

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green chilli, sliced or minced
1/2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp coriander seed, crushed
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon or lime, juiced

Method:

- Heat a pot over medium heat with some canola oil or some other neutral oil. Add the onion and fry till translucent.

- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for about 1 minute.

- Add spices and fry till fragrant.

- Add the butternut squash and stir to combine the ingredients. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes.

- Add the tomatoes and coconut milk and cook the squash until tender, about 10-15 mins.

- Add the chickpeas. When they are warmed through, add the coriander and the juice of half a lemon or lime to brighten the flavors.

- Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.