Pumpkin Spinach Black Bean Dopiaza Food

PUMPKIN, SPINACH & BLACK BEAN DOPIAZA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas Toss half the onions in 1 tbsp oil, then roast for 15-20 mins, until they are crisp and golden. Meanwhile, fry the remaining onion in the oil until lightly golden. Add the garlic and spices; cook for 1 min. Add the pumpkin, stir in the tomato purée and 425ml boiling water, then return to the boil. Simmer, covered, for 15 mins, then stir in the beans. Cook for a further 5 mins. Put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water until it is wilted. Press with a wooden spoon to remove excess water, then roughly chop. Stir into the curry, then warm through. Serve scattered with the crisp roasted onions.

PUMPKIN, BUTTER BEAN, AND SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the onion. Cook and stir until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, cook for 2 minutes longer, then add the coconut milk water, and pumpkin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the pumpkin is nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the butter beans, and continue simmering until the pumpkin is tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the spinach and cilantro. Simmer a few more minutes to reheat, and serve.

ROAST PUMPKIN & SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Halve the pumpkin or squash, peel, deseed, then slice into 1cm slices. Toss with the oil in a roasting tin, season, then roast until tender and slightly charred at the edges. This can take up to 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. In a pan, soften the onion in the oil for 5 mins, then add the celery and garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the tomatoes and sugar, then leave to simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins. Stir from time to time. You should be left with a thick purée. Season to taste.
• Put the spinach in a saucepan with the water that still clings to it after washing, cover and put over a medium heat. Wilt the spinach for about 4 mins - you'll need to turn it over with tongs every so often to make sure it all comes in contact with the heat at the bottom of the pan. When completely wilted, leave until cool enough to handle, then squeeze the water out with your hands. Chop and put in a pan with the butter. Gently heat, tossing together so the spinach is coated in butter, then season with salt, pepper and a generous grating of nutmeg.
• For the béchamel sauce, bring the milk to the boil in a pan with the peppercorns, onion and bay leaf. Set aside for 5 mins to infuse, then strain the milk into another pan. Add the flour and butter, then gently heat, whisking all the while, until you have a thick, smooth sauce.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and assemble the lasagne. Butter a large gratin or baking dish, roughly 1.4 litres in capacity. Put a layer of pumpkin in the bottom followed by a layer of tomato sauce. Lay lasagne sheets on top of this, cutting them to fit if necessary (you don't want any overlapping). Now add a layer of béchamel followed by a scattering of spinach and half the cheese. Top with more lasagne sheets, pumpkin, tomato sauce, more lasagne and a final layer of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 40 mins, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling.