Pumpkin & Tofu Curry

I was out shopping with a friend in an Indian grocery and came across these packet sauce mixes and originally purchased the Butter Chicken for my son but didn’t get around to giving it to him. Having read the ingredients list and determined it was suitable for vegans I decided to use it up in this curry. The packet instructions list butter, cream and yoghurt but to keep it vegan I used almond milk and coconut milk powder. Not even remotely like butter chicken sauce but the resulting dish was very good. I have made it several times since and has been enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters. I usually serve it with rice that has chickpeas and almonds added to it. Great for last minute cooking if you keep the ingredients on hand as they have a long life in the pantry, fridge/freezer.

Served with rice and almond cream flavoured with mint, garlic and lime.

The product that I used but any other could be substituted.

Pumpkin & Tofu in Curry (ButterChicken) Sauce

1 wedge of pumpkin, cut into bite sized chunks 1 package firm tofu, sliced in half and then each piece into sixteen pieces. 1 onion  Small amount of oil to fry pumpkin and tofu 1 onion, finely diced or puréed in food processor - optional 2  cloves garlic, crushed

1 packet Butter Chicken Spices  (or other of your choice or use a commercial paste or your preferred combination of spices) 1 tin chopped/ diced tomatoes 1 packet Coconut milk powder 2 cups almond milk I package frozen spinach fresh coriander, chopped Juice of 1 lime/lemon Optional Use other vegetables that you like and have on hand, such as eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower.

Put oil in frypan, add pumpkin and fry over low heat until pumpkin starts to brown.  Add tofu and brown lightly then add onions if using until onions are slightly softened and then garlic.

Add spice mix, tomatoes, coconut milk powder and almond milk. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens and the pumpkin is just cooked. Add spinach and allow to heat through.

Add lime juice and top with chopped coriander.

Cooked rice with chickpeas and almonds.

Fresh salsa to round things out.