We’re deep into pumpkin season and I think we can all admit that as cliché as the flavor can be this time of year, we still love it. There’s just something so perfect about opening up a can of that bright orange fruit to bake up a good ‘ole pumpkin pie, cake, or bread that makes the season feel in full swing. Now while I love a delicious pumpkin-flavored baked good, I wanted to expand my orange gourd boundaries this season and experiment more on the savory side. Enter – pumpkin channa masala. I figured that since I’ve roasted up squashes with all of my favorite warm spices before, that the concept couldn’t be that different when it came to putting a curry together. I started with one of my favorite recipes that my mom makes on the regular, played around with pumpkin ratios, and ended up with a big dutch oven of the most amazing savory pumpkin channa masala. (Y’all, I even got my dad who was super skeptical about this Indian classic being brought on the pumpkin-train on board!)
The idea behind this dish started with a favorite recipe from home – chana masala. Chana Masala is like a warm stew that you bring together in a pot with tomatoes, onions, and spices and we spent so many years eating bowls of this at home that it really is such a favorite dish of mine. Especially this time of year as the weather is getting especially crisp in the evenings, sitting down to a warm bowl of this is such a treat.
The best thing about a dish like this is, I can add single servings of the curry into mason jars to keep in the freezer. Then when I’m ready and need a quick meal, I can just defrost one of the jars to eat – this is definitely one of those dishes that tastes just as good as leftovers as it did the night you whipped it up!
While the spice mix here is such a powerhouse of health benefits, did you know that pumpkin is also a superfood?? Pumpkin is packed with vitamin A and carotenoids, and has a healthy dose of fiber and iron. I love that instead of using something like heavy cream to make this curry delicious and creamy, I can use pumpkin to make it a flavorful AND nutritionally-packed dish!
Feel free to swap out the chickpeas if you have another bean on hand, and you could easily switch out the kale for another green or leave it out. I like serving this curry over brown rice for an extra-filling meal, but it would be equally as delicious over quinoa or on it’s own!
This is such an easy one-pot meal that will save your weeknights – and besides, who couldn’t use an extra excuse to buy more cans of pumpkin this time of year? Enjoy!
Check out more recipes from The Global Kitchen here!
Pumpkin Chickpea Curry
Serves 5
Pumpkin Chickpea Curry
Categories
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder (depending on your spice preference)
- 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 15 oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup veggie broth
- 2 cups of chopped kale
- rice and flatbread to serve
- cilantro and lime for garnish
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, add the ghee and bring the pot up to a medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until slightly translucent. Then add the garlic and all of the spices and cook for about 5 minutes until the spices have slightly toasted.
- Add the tomatoes, pumpkin puree, chickpeas, and veggie broth to the mix. Cover the pot and let simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are tender.
- Uncover the pot and add the chopped kale. continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes until the kale has slightly wilted. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Remove pot from the heat and serve warm over rice or with flatbreads, garnished with chopped cilantro and lime juice. Enjoy!
This looks and sounds very healthy and warming for this time of year, the perfect autumn food.