It’s pumpkin time and this recipe from Monisha Bharadwaj’s new book Indian in 7 is already a firm favourite.

Any recipe by Monisha Bharadwaj is likely to use ginger-garlic paste. I make mine in batches and use an ice cube container to freeze it. Be careful to keep the paste wrapped and well away from other ice cubes. To make, blitz (or finely grate) the garlic and fresh ginger 2:1 with a little water.

2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
15 dried curry leaves (of 10 fresh)
1 tsp turmeric
200ml passata
400g pumpkin cubes (MB leaves the skin on but I prefer to take it off)
400ml tin coconut milk
15 unsalted cashew nuts
Salt

Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan and stir in the ginger-garlic paste and the chillies and cook over a high heat for a minute. Add the curry leaves and continue cooking for another minute.

Turn down the heat and add the turmeric and passata. Stir well.

Add the pumpkin chunks, pour in 150ml boiling water and salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and the water reduced.

Pour in most of the coconut milk and stir in the cashews. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for five minutes. Add the remainder of the coconut milk if necessary.

Serve with plain boiled rice or poppadoms.

Any leftovers could be used as the basis for a warming soup.