Healthy recipe: Pumpkin and spinach curry with spices

Recipe by Garlone Bardel author of the Yoga CookBook

This recipe is a promise of comfort, but enhanced with freshness and spices. It is tasty and has balancing qualities during cold and humid seasons. It is diuretic but also very nutritious because all squashes are to be consumed during cooling periods. Squash preserve intestinal comfort and help fight fatigue. Cucurbitaceae are plants that will spread on the ground and are linked to vyana energy, which strengthens but also promotes the expansion of energy. Ginger and turmeric stimulate apana, which is the energy located in the lower abdomen and pelvis region, and which give strength and endurance. Ginger is excellent for eliminating flatulence and abdominal cramps. Turmeric improves digestion, purifies the blood and also tones the bile ducts. Spinach, rich in chlorophyll, stimulates prana, which is the energy located in the chest region. It is the force that makes air enter the body, and that will regulate the heartbeat. It is an ideal dish to nourish the yogi's body in the cold season.

For 4 plates

In the kitchen: 15 min + 20 min cooking

• 1 kg of pumpkin
• 250 g spinach
• 2 tbsp ghee (or olive oil)
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp grated fresh turmeric
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander
• 4 heaped tbsp almonds
• unrefined sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly crushed pepper.

The preparation

First, soak the almonds in a bowl of water. Then, wash the pumpkin and cut it in half, remembering to remove the seeds. Then cut it into large cubes, remembering to keep the skin which will then become soft when cooked. Secondly, in a casserole dish, heat the ghee (or olive oil). Then add the ginger, turmeric and other spices, and let them "sing" for a few seconds. When this is the case, add the pumpkin cut into large cubes, 40 cl of water and the vegetable stock. Then bring everything to the boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check with the tip of a knife that the pumpkin is tender, but still firm. Add the washed and stemmed spinach, and cook everything for a minute more. Salt and pepper. Divide the preparation into the soup plates, sprinkle with coriander and rehydrated almonds, previously cut into 2 or 3 lengthwise. Serve hot.

You will find all of these wonderful recipes in the book Yoga CookBook by Garlone Gardel, Editions Ulmer.

Credit @Thomas Dhellemmes