Freddie’s vegan pumpkin curry with Melea Verdejo-Sauvignon Blanc
As the youngest member of the team, Freddie Long is perhaps the most in touch with current food trends, and although he is not a vegan, he often chooses to cut back on meat for health and environmental reasons. This is a great dish if you have vegan guests to dinner, or want a healthy alternative to all the rich Christmas food, paired with a white from our new organic and vegan Melea range.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 5 red chillies
- 4 shallots
- 2 lemongrass stalks
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1 ½ tbsp galangal paste
- 2 ½ tsp sugar
- Salt to tasteFor the curry:
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 200ml of vegetable stock
- 800g of pumpkin peeled and cut into chunks
- 150g crushed peanuts
- Handful of fresh coriander
Method
- Blend the spices with 100ml of water and blitz to a paste.
- Fry the paste stirring constantly until it is dark and dense without burning the ingredients.
- Stir the paste into the coconut milk and vegetable stock.
- Add the chopped pumpkin and cook, turning the heat down covered until tender
- Serve accompanied with rice (preferably Thai or basmati) with the coriander and crushed peanuts scattered on top.
Pairing
This spicy curry demands a refreshing white to cleanse the palate, yet with enough body and fruit to stand up to the depth of flavour on the palate. A blend of Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in organically managed vineyards in the Cuenca area, Melea offers intense flavours of pineapple and herbaceous notes of freshly cut grass and fennel that echo the coriander garnish.