SPICE TRAIL

Take a journey through India's culinary heritage

- 

Pumpkin and tamarind soup

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 white onions, roughly chopped

1 tsp fine salt

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 heaped tsp roughly chopped ginger

½ tsp dried chilli flakes, plus a little extra, to serve

1½ tsp ground turmeric

500g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cubed

800ml water

1 vegetable stock cube

2 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp fine brown sugar

100ml coconut milk

METHOD

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and salt and allow to soften and very lightly bronze over the next 5 minutes.

Stir the garlic, ginger and dried chilli flakes into the onions. After a couple of minutes, add the turmeric, cubed pumpkin, water and stock cube.

Simmer gently for 15 minutes, ensuring the pumpkin is covered with the water, or until the pumpkin is completely soft.