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Goan pumpkin and coconut soup with rice, spinach and crispy toppings
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- For the soup
- 1.55kg orange-fleshed pumpkin or butternut or coquina squash, peeled and deseeded
- 3tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 large onion halved and finely sliced, then chopped into small pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1.5cm fat ginger root, peeled and grated
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
- ½tsp turmeric
- ½tsp ground cumin
- 1tsp ground coriander
- 1.25 litres vegetable stock or half water and half stock
- 150g basmati rice
- 400ml tinned coconut milk
- 200g baby spinach
For the toppings
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced into rings
- a handful of dried coconut shavings
- 200g banana shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- red chilli powder, for dusting (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/ Gas 6. Shave 18-22 strips off the pumpkin using a swivel peeler and lay them out flat on a tray or dish. Cut the remaining pumpkin into wedges 1cm wide, then cut these into 3cm chunks. Place the chunks on one or two oven trays and drizzle with about 1tbsp of oil. Season with salt crystals and freshly ground black pepper. Toss and roast for 25 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile, prepare the toppings (this can be done in advance). Heat the oil in a wok on a medium heat and fry the pumpkin shavings in batches until just golden. Pat dry on kitchen paper. Fry the chillies next until lightly crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and dry off the oil on kitchen paper. Next fry the coconut shavings, a few at a time, until golden, again removing them with a slotted spoon and draining off the oil on kitchen paper. Do the same with the shallots, frying in batches until golden (they crisp up as they cool).
Heat the rest of the oil for the soup and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli for 5 minutes until slightly softened, stirring often enough to prevent burning. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and stir in all but 16 pieces of roasted pumpkin (put those to one side for serving). Pour in the stock, or half stock and water. Season. Bring gently to the boil then simmer for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, drain and place in a medium pan covered with 1cm water. Add a large pinch of salt. Bring to the boil then lower the heat. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Unless using within 15 minutes, tip the rice into a colander, then rinse with cold water and drain. Place in a bowl and cover until needed.
When the soup is ready, purée it in a liquidiser, then pour it back into the pan and add the coconut milk. Roughly chop the reserved roasted pumpkin and add along with the spinach. Check for seasoning and heat through. Add the rice and warm briefly.
Serve with the topping of fried onions, coconut, chillies and pumpkin crisps. Dust lightly with chilli powder, if using.
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