The pumpkin, symbol of Halloween or ‘All Hallows Eve’, it is most often found on a windowsill these days, candle lighting the spooky shapes carved into it for the annual celebrations.

But it’s also a delicious, healthy vegetable and surprisingly versatile, tasting great in soups, pasta bakes, curries and GHOULash! High in vitamin A, (beta-carotene) and other antioxidants and containing seeds packed full of zinc, it’s an awesome addition to the Autumn menu.

Try our recipe below and warm yourself after a cold night trick or treating!

Ingredients (serves 2)

200g cubed pumpkin

1 large carrot

1 large red onion

200g green lentils

1 jar balti sauce

100g frozen peas

Heat some butter in a pan. Chop the carrot and onion and add them to the pan on a low heat for around 3-5 minutes until they have softened.

Chop the pumpkin into cubes (remembering first to carve the balance logo into the pumpkin before dicing)! Cover the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Stir in the jar of balti sauce and cook for another minute before adding the lentils in their juices. Place the lid back on top and cook on a low heat for around 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the peas and cook for another couple of minutes.

Serve with pumpkin seed bread.

Spine-chillngly good!

Here you can see the spirit of the pumpkin rising out of the curry. Proof that there is an afterlife in the vegetable world!