Coconut Squash Curry with Braised Carlin Peas

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Put the squash on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, then spread out in a single layer and roast for about 30–35 minutes until soft and slightly charred.
2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the curry paste. Add all the ingredients to a mini food processor or a blender and blend to a coarse but well-formed paste – you’ll want to retain some texture, so don’t overblend. Set aside.
3. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide lidded sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sweat for about 2 minutes. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf and garam masala and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes before adding the Carlin peas or red kidney beans and their liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover the pan and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to rest with the lid on.
4. Once the squash is cooked, place sauté pan or heavy-based deep frying pan over a high heat, and when hot, add the curry paste along with a drop of vegetable oil and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Add the squash and cook, continuing to stir and shaking the pan frequently, for about 5–6 minutes until charred but not burned.
5. To serve, spoon the peas or beans into a large wide bowls, then pile up the dry curried squash pieces. Pour over a generous swirl of extra virgin olive oil, add a squeeze of juice from the lime wedge and scatter over the chopped coriander. Some really good chilli sauce won’t go a miss either.