Hmm, what’s for dinner tonight? May we suggest a bowl of this speedy Butternut and Chickpea Korma from Super Natural by Sarah Graham?

Download the free recipe PDF here, or follow the instructions below.

Super Natural is now available at bookstores countrywide (yay!) or online here.

Recipe:

Butternut and Chickpea Korma

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients – that’s because we’re here to build up lots of layers of beautiful flavour, but if you need to save time don’t be afraid to go for your favourite store-bought korma paste or spice mix and cook along from there. You’ll still end up with a gorgeous, creamy curry sauce that’s impossible to resist.

And if you’re going to go to the effort of making this, think about doubling up and stashing a couple of portions in the freezer for a rainy day.

Serves 4 Ready in 45 minutes

What you need

• 300g butternut or pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 100g baby spinach or ½ cup frozen peas
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• a squeeze lemon juice to taste or if necessary to balance the flavours

Korma sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter or extra oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon, snapped in half
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed to release the seeds
• 1 tsp each turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, medium-hot curry powder and garam masala
• ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1–2 tsp honey or maple syrup or sugar
• 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
• ¼ cup ground almonds or cashew nuts

To serve (optional)

• basmati or cauliflower rice
• chopped fresh coriander
• store-bought rotis

What to do 

1. For the sauce, add the olive oil and butter to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the onion and cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion
softens and is golden. Add the ginger and garlic with all of the spices and cook for 2–3 minutes or until fragrant. Take care not to let the garlic burn.

2. Add the sweetener, coconut milk and nuts, stir well and bring to a simmer.

3. Remove from the heat, transfer the mixture to a blender (remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods first) and allow to cool for a few minutes before blending until smooth, and then
return to the pan.

4. Make the rice and set aside.

5. Add the butternut and chickpeas to the sauce, leave to simmer with the lid off until the butternut is tender (15–20 minutes).

6. Once the butternut is cooked and the sauce has thickened, stir in the spinach or peas, adjust the seasoning and add in extra sweetener or a squeeze of lemon juice if necessary.

7. Serve the curry and cauli rice in warmed bowls topped with fresh coriander and rotis on the side.

Note

You could also add 300g firm tofu, cubed and fried until golden and then stirred in just before serving. A tip with fried tofu is to drain any excess liquid before frying. To do this, lay the tofu on a double layer of kitchen paper set on a plate, top with another double layer of paper and then something heavy such as a cast-iron pan. Leave to stand for 10–15 minutes to drain before cutting into slices or cubes and frying in a little oil until golden on all sides.

Categories Cookery Lifestyle Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Penguin Random House SA Recipes Sarah Graham Super Natural