Harmony Kitchen

Sept 5, 2026 Recipe of the Week

I tried this recipe a few years ago and ever since, I just can’t wait for the pumpkins to ripen so that I can make it again.

I used to associate pumpkins with things like pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pie. This recipe has given me a whole new appreciation of this humble autumn vegetable: low in calories, high in nutrients and fibre and delicious to boot!

Pantry items: – Extra virgin olive oil – One can of chickpeas – One can of coconut milk – Spices: garam masala, turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin, cayenne – Salt and pepper

Equipment:

• Chef knife and cutting board
• Dutch oven (or other large sauce pan)
• Microplane grater (or box grater or garlic press)
• Sheet pan, parchment paper, cooling rack
• Mixing bowls

Method

Start by gathering all of your ingredients together and pre-heating your oven to 425 degrees. If you have a “roast” or “convection” option, use this. If not, don’t sweat it.

If any of your spices are whole, grind them before getting started.

Otherwise, this is a recipe that works well with preparing one step at a time instead of preparing everything in advance.

Start by preparing the pumpkin and chickpeas for roasting. You can roast them together on one parchment-lined sheetpan.

Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas and leave them in a colander or on a clean towel to dry while you prepare the pumpkin.

Microwave a 1-2 pound pumpkin for 1-2 minutes to soften the skin and make it easier to peel.

While this is in the microwave, start a pot of rice if that is how you plan to serve your curry.

When the pumpkin has softened a little bit, cut the stem off, cut it in half, remove the seeds (a grapefruit spoon is perfect for this!), peel the skin off with either a veggie peeler or a sharp knife and cut the flesh into 1″ pieces.

Place the pieces in a mixing bowl and add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the pieces then add a few teaspoons of maple syrup (to help it caramelize), a few pinches of salt and pepper, a small pinch of cayenne and 1/2-1tsp of garam masala. Grate one clove of garlic into the bowl, toss everything together and spread the pieces on the sheet pan.

Next, gently blot the chickpeas with a clean tea towel to ensure they are completely dry then toss with enough olive oil to coat them and a few good pinches of salt (about 1/4-1/2 tsp). Spead them on the other half of the sheet pan if there is room or on a seperate sheet pan as needed.

Place the sheet pan(s) in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

When the timer rings, check on the status of the pumpkin and chickpeas. You are looking for some caramelized edges on the pumpkin and a slighly crispy exterior on the chickpeas. They will likely need another 10-15 minutes. Rotate the pan(s) around for even cooking and set your timer to check them aagin in 10-15 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, start the sauce. Wash and finely slice the onions (end to end) then saute in enough EVOO to just coat the bottom of the pan on medium heat until they are beginning to caramelize/turn brown at the edges. This will take several minutes and will give you time to prep tomatoes and garlic.

Grate one clove of garlic and set it aside then wash and roughly dice roma tomatoes.

Once the onions have started to take on some colour, add the grated garlic and ~1/2 tsp of garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ~1/4 tsp ginger and a pinch of cayenne. Continue to saute, stirring constantly until the spices become very fragrant. This will only take a minute. Don’t worry if things are sticking to the bottom of the pan a bit. That will be fixed in the next step.

Once the spices smell fantastic, add the tomatoes and stir until they start to break down and dissolve the fond on the bottom of the pan.

Once the tomatoes have broken down, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed then add one can of coconut milk and stir to incorporate. Again, check and adjust seasoning (but err on the side of less salt as the sauce will cook down and concentrate).

Allow sauce to come to a boil then simmer as the oven veggies are roasting. Once the oven veggies are done, add the pumpkin. Taste and adjust, including adding a bit of maple syrup if you would like a bit more sweetness.

Place the chickpeas in a clean bowl while still warm and toss with 1/2-1 tsp cumin. Toss then return to the sheet pan to cool.

Cook sauce another 5-10 minutes until the pumpkin starts to soften and is completely cooked through/soft.

Serve pumpkin curry on rice, topped with crispy chickpeas and a few springs of cilantro.

Time Savers, Storage Tips and Spin off Recipes

• This is a perfect example of a meal you can prepare in advance and enjoy for months to come.
• Any meal that has solids covered in sauce will prevent freezer burn and preserve flavour and texture, making great “fast food” for busy days.
• It adds very little time to double, triple or quadruple a batch. Your future self will thank you for having healthy fast food available in your own freezer for lunches or nights when you just don’t feel like cooking.
• You can portion curry and rice together or seperately. Allow food to fully cool prior to freezing so that other foods in the freezer do not thaw and to prevent ice crystal formation from condensation.

Did you Know?

Using herbs and spices is a great way to boost your food’s plant power and meet the goal of 30 plants per week.

Read labels carefully as pre-packaged spices often contain ingredients such as “natural flavouring” which is an ultra-processed ingredient.

Buying whole spices is one way of ensuring you are getting only what you want. Whole spices also retain their phytochemical compounds longer.

Keep a dedicated spice grinder (a coffee grinder kept just for spices) and grind just prior to use to activate flavours/nutrients then warm the ground spices in oil or butter to release fat soluble compounds and allow them to spread and incorporate throughout the dish.

Frequently used spice combinations can be mixed and ground in advance then bloomed in fat during the cooking process.

In this recipe, you can make garam masala by grinding together 1 tbsp cardamom pods, 1 tsp each of whole cloves, black peppercorns, and black cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mace, 2″ cinnamon stick and 1/3 of a whole nutmeg.

Keep extra in an airtight jar in a cool and dark place such as a cupboard or drawer away from the stovetop.

This Recipe’s Plant Count: 20 (if you are using the garam masala recipe above)

Time Required: ~45 minutes

Servings: 6 for a single batch