Curried Archives • Mushroompride

Curried Pumpkin Soup – Delishar

Day 10! Based on the Whole30 timeline, day 10 & 11 is the time when most people who quit on the program caves. Day 9 was extremely tough for me. I was unusually tired, I crave sugar to get me going. Perhaps because of the lack of good night sleep the night before. My youngest came into my room in the middle of the night, crawled into bed, and asked me to snuggle her. I think she was a little anxious about having her cast and k-wires removed. Usually I’ll send her back into the room, but that night I allowed her to sleep with us. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep very well as I was afraid that I’ll roll over her or hurt her broken arm.

She had her cast and 3 k-wires removed, and her elbow and wrist are healing well. 6 more weeks of light duties before she can resume normal activities. Despite her limited arm movement when she still had her cast on, she was adamant about making dinner with me one evening. So I can’t say I made this pumpkin soup entirely on my own. It was team effort. She also had her chef hat and apron on while helping me out. lol!

I knew that this soup is going to put a smile on the husband’s face when he sees it. He is a big fan of soups. True enough, the first thing he said was, “This is reeeaaallly good!”. I made enough for us to have it for lunch the next day with a side salad. Soup and salad is always good. 🙂

The soup can be spicy depending on the curry powder that you use. My curry powder is pretty strong, so use a milder one if the kids are having it too. My kids aren’t pumpkin fan, so I made something else for them for dinner that night. If you have 30 minutes to spare, do give this recipe a try. I promise you it will be worth it. It’s a great make ahead as well!

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Delishar

4 cups 1L chicken/veg stock*
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic smashed
800 g pumpkin cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large carrot cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Toppings

2 cups baby kale
20 g walnuts
2 tsp olive oil
2-3 tsp curry powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil to drizzle optional

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Heat pot on medium high heat with 1 tbsp oil.
Add onion to cook until softened, about 1 minute.
Then add garlic to cook until slightly browned.
Pour stock into pot, add pumpkin and carrot.
Bring to boil, and lower heat to medium low.
Simmer 20 minutes until carrot and pumpkin is tender.
Remove from heat.
Heat pan on medium high heat with 2 tsp oil.
Blend with immersion blender until smooth.
Bring it back up to a boil.
Season with curry powder, salt, and black pepper to taste then remove from heat.

Toppings

Saute baby kale with salt and pepper.
Remove and set aside.
Add walnuts into pan and toast.
Remove to cool, and chop into smaller chunks.
Serve pumpkin soup with sauteed baby kale and chopped walnuts.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the soup to finish.

I used Imagine’s No Chicken Stock that is whole30 compliant and available at cold storage.

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Curried Pinto Beans Shakshuka – Delishar

The 3rd item that caught my attention while I was searching for alternative protein was USA dried pinto beans. A sustainable source of plant-based protein that is very nutritious, versatile, and affordable. I’ve seen it used quite a bit when we travelled to the U.S. However, it’s not a common ingredient used in Chinese cuisine. Therefore, I was really excited to work with it and challenge myself to create something that my family will enjoy.

Pinto beans are used in many different cuisines. One that might be more familiar to us is the Mexican cuisine, often consumed whole, mashed, pureed, and refried. This nutrient-dense legume contains many essential nutrients. It is a great source of protein, high in dietary fiber, phosphorus, manganese, and folate.

Pinto beans are like little painted canvases with a beige background strewn with reddish brown splashes of colour. Which gives its name “Pinto” meaning “painted” in Spanish. After cooking, their coloured splotches disappear, and they become a beautiful light brown colour.

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish generally eaten for breakfast. The traditional Shakshuka uses tomatoes, onions and spices with eggs poached on top. This recipe is heavily inspired by that. It is kind of a cross between a Shakshuka and Bean Curry as I added Pinto beans to the base for a more wholesome meal. We had some leftovers which I pureed to serve as a dip with pita chips for snacking.

I chose Pinto beans because they are not only chock full of vitamins and minerals, they also offer a host of health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants which protects our cells against damage from free radicals. It is low in glycemic index (GI), which keeps you fuller, digest slower and helps to moderate blood sugar. Beans encourage propionate production, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol. Something that I need. (-_-“)

Fun Fact: The United States is the global leader in dry bean production. Each year, U.S. farmers plant 1.5 to 1.7 million acres of edible dry beans. ~ USDBC

The USDBC website provides a ton of information from production facts, nutritional facts, bean facts, types and cooking time of different bean varieties and more.

I shall use the rest of the beans to make the family a mean bowl of chilli next week! The 3 Beans Sloppy Joes on this site look good too! Here are some other recipes should you need some other bean-spiration. Haha! Oh, don’t forget to check out my last 2 recipes: Thai Basil Lentils & Split Green Pea Samosa

Pinto Bean ‘Shakshuka’

1 cup Dried USA Pinto Beans
3 shallots minced
1 tbsp garlic grated
1 tbsp ginger grated
1-2 green chilli minced
3 heaping tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp ghee
4 eggs
Chopped coriander to garnish

Soak pinto beans in water overnight or at least 6 hours.
Pressure cook beans on high with enough water to cover beans for 25-30 minutes until soft.
In a pan over medium heat, melt ghee.
Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When it starts popping, add shallots to cook until soft.
Then add garlic, ginger, green chilli, and tomatoes to cook until paste-like.
Add curry, sugar and sauté until combined.
Then pour in softened pinto beans and liquid. Stir to combine.
Season with salt to taste.
Crack in eggs and cover to cook until whites are starting to set.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with naan bread.