chopped ginger ½tsp dried chilli flakes, plus a few extra to serve
½tsp ground turmeric
500g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
1 vegetable stock cube
20g tamarind pulp or 2tsp tamarind paste or 1tsp tamarind concentrate
1tsp fine brown or caster sugar
100ml coconut milk
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and salt and cook for 5 minutes to soften and very lightly bronze. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli. After 2 minutes, add the turmeric, pumpkin or squash, 800ml water and the stock cube.
Ensuring the pumpkin is covered with the water, simmer gently for 15 minutes or until it is completely soft.
If using tamarind pulp, put it in a small bowl, cover with warm water and leave to soak for 10 minutes, then use your whole hand to break it up completely. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and use the back of a spoon to push through all the pulp. Discard the fibrous parts and seeds.
Add the tamarind pulp, paste or concentrate to the pan, along with the sugar, and use a handheld blender to blend until smooth.
Simmer the soup gently on a low heat, then add the coconut milk. Taste to check the balance of sweet, sour and salty flavours, then serve with a few dried chilli flakes on top.
Recipes and photographs taken from Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India's Culinary Heritage by Torie True. Photography by Tim Green. (Meze Publishing, £25)
