The leaves are swept, the fire is lit, the evening will be spent around the table, candles burning. The food this week has been more substantial than it has been for months. A tray of roasted pumpkin, crunchy with coriander seeds and a tomato sauce thick with mint and basil. We ate an aubergine stew with chickpeas that had the deep warmth of ginger and garam masala. It was even better the following day. The sweeter spices – coriander, cinnamon and cumin – are those that are interesting me right now. Spices with a softness and depth to them rather than the punch of chilli, they work perfectly with the sweet flesh of pumpkin and aubergine, a slow lingering warmth to flatter the vegetables’ sweetness.
Roast pumpkin with tomato and yogurt
You need a surprisingly hot oven to brown and sweeten the pumpkin slices, but not so hot that the spices burn. Plenty of olive oil is essential, as is the occasional turning of the golden squash as it roasts.
Serves 4
For the pumpkin:
ginger 40g
garlic 2 cloves
coriander seeds 3 tsp
olive oil 5 tbsp
pumpkin 1kg
For the sauce:
onions 2
olive oil 2 tbsp
garlic 3 cloves
tomatoes 750g
basil 10 leaves
mint 15 leaves
yogurt 200g
Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8. Grate the ginger to a purée on a fine grater into a large mixing bowl. Peel and crush the garlic and mix it with the ginger. Add the coriander seeds and oil and a grind of salt and pepper.
Cut the pumpkin in half then into slices about 2cm thick, removing the seeds and fibres, but leaving the skin in place. Put the pumpkin slices into the mixing bowl, then toss with the aromatics, so the pumpkin pieces are evenly coated. Transfer the pumpkin to a foil-lined baking tray, tip over any remaining seasoning and oil then bake for about 40 minutes until soft and patchily brown.
Make the sauce: peel and roughly chop the onions. Warm the oil in a large deep pan, add the onions and let them cook until soft and pale gold. Peel and finely slice the garlic and add to the softening onions. Roughly chop the tomatoes and stir into the onion and garlic, season with salt then leave to cook over a moderate heat for about 35 minutes, giving the occasional stir to stop the mixture sticking. You might find it helpful to partially cover the pan with a lid. Put the yogurt in a small bowl. Shred the basil leaves and the mint and stir into the yogurt. When the sauce is thick, serve with the roast pumpkin and spoon over the herbed yogurt.
Spiced aubergine with chickpeas
The addition of a teaspoon of sugar is essential to balance the spice paste. Make it the day before if you wish, heating it slowly on the hob before serving with lightly scorched flatbread or steamed white rice.
Serves 4, with steamed rice
For the spice paste:
roast peppers 100g, bottled
garlic 2 cloves
ginger 30g, fresh
groundnut oil 2 tbsp
cumin seeds 2 tsp
ground coriander 3 tsp
tomato purée 1 tbsp
sugar 1 tsp
paprika 2 tsp
garam masala 1 tbsp
For the chickpeas:
aubergines 2
groundnut or vegetable oil 6 tbsp
onion 1
tomatoes 400g
red chilli 1, medium hot
chickpeas 1 x 400g tin
coriander a handful
parsley a small handful
mint 12 large leaves
yogurt 100ml
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways, then score the cut sides in a lattice pattern, almost down to the skin. Put the aubergines in a baking dish or roasting tin, cut side up and spoon over 4 tbsp of the oil. Bake for 30 minutes until the flesh of the aubergine is soft enough to scoop out with a spoon.
Drain the peppers and put them in a blender jug or the bowl of a food processor. Then make the spice paste. Peel the garlic and crush it finely. Peel and grate the ginger. Warm the groundnut oil in a frying pan over a moderate heat then stir in the ginger and garlic. Let it sizzle for a moment or two then stir in the cumin seeds and coriander and fry until fragrant. Stir in the tomato purée and fry briefly then add the sugar, paprika, a little salt and the garam masala. Tip the spice paste into the peppers and pulse to a rough purée then scrape into a small bowl.
Peel and roughly chop the onion. Warm the 2 reserved tbsp of oil in the vacant pan over a moderate heat and add the onion. Let it cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until soft and sweet. Then stir in the spice paste and continue cooking for a minute or two.
Chop the tomatoes and add them into the spice paste. Finely chop the chilli and stir it in, together with the drained chickpeas.
Remove the aubergine from the oven and scrape the flesh from the skin with a spoon, stirring it into the tomato and chickpeas. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
Just before serving, chop the coriander, parsley and mint and fold in. Serve, with a trickle of yogurt and steamed rice.
