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!