We are delighted to bring our reader’s another recipe from Mridula Baljekar, Mridula Baljekar is well known in the international culinary circuit as a highly respected cookbook author. Her latest scoop is the ‘Best Indian Cookbook in the World’ awarded by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, considered to be the Oscars of the cookbook world.
With Halloween in mind, I have created this deliciously spiced pumpkin with green beans, cooked in coconut milk, chilli and lime juice. The inspiration came from a close friend of mine who served it at a dinner party recently. I offer my version here. I used coconut oil as it has been declared a healthy cooking oil recently, but other cooking oil will also work well.
Pumpkin and green beans in spiced coconut milk
Serves 4-5
- 1 small or half a large pumpkin (700g/1.5 lb peeled and cleaned weight)
- 225g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm/1” lengths
- 3 tbsps coconut oil
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2.5cm/1” piece of root ginger, finely grated
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½-1 tsp chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 200ml/7 fl oz coconut milk
- The juice of half a lime or lemon
- Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into 2.5cm/1” pieces.
- Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, and immediately immerse in iced water.
- Melt the coconut oil over a medium/high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, and as soon as they begin to pop, add the cumin followed by the onion, ginger and green chilli. Cook until the onion is soft, but not brown, reducing the heat to medium after the first couple of minutes.
- Add the curry leaves, ground fennel, turmeric and chilli powder. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, then sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons water. Cook until water evaporates. Repeat this process once more and add the pumpkin, salt, 200ml/7fl oz warm water and the coconut milk. Bring it to a gentle boil, drain the beans and add to the pan. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, but still firm.
- Stir in the lime juice and remove from the heat.
- Serve with boiled basmati rice or any Indian bread.
Mridula was born in Assam, the tea-growing area in north east India. When she moved to England she turned her childhood passion for cooking to a highly successful career. Mridula is Consultant to Mango Lounge, the award-winning Indian restaurant in Windsor. For more information click here
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