Pumpkin, Chickpea and Lemongrass Curry

Ingredients

[For paste]

2 large golden shallots (or 3 French shallots), peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
10 dried chillis, soaked in hot water to soften then drained
2 large red chillis, deseeded and sliced
2.5cm (1 inch) nub of young ginger or galangal, peeled and sliced
1 lemongrass, lower bulb removed and sliced thinly
2 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 Tbl of oil

[For curry]

200ml coconut milk
250ml vegetable/chicken stock or water
100g dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight and cooked
500g sweet pumpkin, rind removed and chopped into 3 cm chunks
150-200g green beans, chopped into 5cm lengths
1 Tbl of (firmly packed) brown sugar or palm sugar (or to taste)
2 kaffir lime leaves
Fish sauce
Coriander

Method

You’ll need to begin this recipe the day before. Soak the dried chickpeas in plenty of cold water in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Then bring a pot of water to a boil and add the soaked chickpeas. Simmer for about 1.5 hours or until chickpeas are cooked through. Strain and set aside.

To make the paste, grind all the paste ingredients together in a food processor or mortar pestle until it has been completely pulverised.

In a wok or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground paste and fry for a few minutes or until fragrant (be careful not to burn).

Add the coconut milk and stock/water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Add the pumpkin, cooked chickpeas and kaffir lime leaves and simmer gently for about 10 minutes before adding the green beans. Simmer for a further 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender (time may vary depending on the thickness of your diced pumpkin).

Season with brown/palm sugar for sweetness and fish sauce for saltiness. Feel free to add more stock or water if the curry is too thick for your liking (personally I prefer it a little liquidy for perfect rice drenching).

Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed rice or white sticky rice.