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Make the most of seasonal squash in the early autumn and try a spicy pumpkin soup. You can toast the seeds, too, and add as a topping.
Ingredients
1 pumpkin, about 1.5-2kg (save the seeds – toast them in a dry pan to serve)
1tbsp garam masala
2tsp ground coriander
2tsp ground cumin
½-1tsp chilli flakes or powder, plus a pinch
3tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
900ml veg stock
100ml double cream or crème fraiche, plus extra to serve
METHOD
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds with a spoon (see tip below). Cut into wedges or chunks (keep the skin on) and tip into a bowl. Put the garam masala, and 1 tsp each of the coriander and cumin into a small bowl and mix with 2 tbsp of the oil and season. Drizzle over the pumpkin and toss well to coat in the spiced oil. Transfer to a baking tray, spread out evenly and roast for 40-45 mins, turning halfway through cooking, until the pumpkin is very soft when pierced with a fork. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes.
STEP 2
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until soft. Add the ginger, garlic and remaining spices and chilli flakes, and fry for a few more minutes until fragrant. Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
STEP 3
When the pumpkin is cool enough to touch, use a spoon to scoop the soft flesh from the skins. Add the soft pumpkin to the stock pan, discarding the skins. Remove from the heat and blitz the soup with a hand blender until creamy and smooth. Season to taste, adding extra chilli or garam masala if you like. Put back over a low heat and stir in the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, then serve in bowls with a drizzle more cream and a pinch of chilli to serve. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds, if you like.
With fall-apart beef, tomatoes and peppers in a creamy, rich stew, our slow-cooker goulash recipe couldn't be easier or more comforting.
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2kg braising or stewing steak, cut into chunks
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 mixed peppers, cut into 4cm chunks
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika, plus extra to serve
4 tbsp tomato purée
4 large tomatoes cut into small chunks
400-500ml beef stock
300ml soured cream
small bunch of parsley, chopped
METHOD
STEP 1
Heat the slow cooker to low and heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Season and sear the beef in batches until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
STEP 2
Put the remaining oil in the pan and fry the onions for 10 mins until lightly golden. Add the peppers and garlic, and fry for another 5-10 mins, then stir in the flour and all of the spices. Cook for 2 mins more, then stir in the tomato purée, tomatoes and 400ml beef stock. Season well. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then tip into the slow cooker with the seared beef. Add the remaining stock, if needed, to cover the meat completely. Cover and cook for 6-7 hrs until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
STEP 3
Season to taste, then swirl the soured cream and most of the parsley through the stew. Scatter over the remaining parsley and some sweet smoked paprika, then serve with small roasted potatoes or brown rice, if you like.
Squash, chickpea & coconut curry
Cook up this vibrant vegan curry that makes the most of autumnal squash. It's ideal for a meat-free Monday dinner when served with flatbreads.
Ingredients
1 kabocha, red kuri, crown prince or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm-thick slices
3 tbsp coconut or rapeseed oil
5 tbsp tamarind sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp dried or fresh curry leaves
1 red onion, sliced
thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 green chilli, sliced
1 lemongrass stalk, lightly bashed
400g can chickpeas, drained
1 large tomato, sliced
1 tbsp roasted curry powder (see recipe, right)
1 tsp turmeric, freshly grated if possible, or use 1 tsp ground
400ml can coconut milk
3 large handfuls of kale
small bunch of coriander, leaves picked
2 tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional)
flatbreads, to serve
For the roasted curry powder
10g basmati rice
20g coriander seeds
15g cumin seeds
10g black peppercorns
5g fenugreek seeds
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp green cardamom pods, seeds only
METHOD
STEP 1
For the curry powder, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and toast the rice, stirring, until it starts to brown. Tip in the rest of the spices and toast for 3-5 mins until brown but not burned. Using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, blitz or grind to a fine powder. Pass through a sieve. Will keep for up to three months in an airtight container.
STEP 2
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp of the oil, a pinch of salt, 3 tbsp of the tamarind sauce, the chilli flakes and coconut. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 mins, or until tender.
STEP 3
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry the mustard seeds for a minute or so until they sizzle and pop, then add the curry leaves and cook for a few more seconds until they crackle. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and a pinch of salt and stir for a few minutes until the onion softens. Tip in the chickpeas, tomato, curry powder and turmeric and keep stirring for 5-8 mins, until the tomato breaks down.
STEP 4
Pour the coconut milk into the wok and stir, cooking for about 5 mins until slightly reduced. Add the remaining 2 tbsp tamarind, taste for seasoning, then add the kale, stirring for a couple of minutes until softened. Divide the squash between bowls, ladle in the curry sauce, then top with the coriander and coconut flakes, if using. Serve with warmed flatbreads.