Quick & Easy Pumpkin & Pigeon Peas Vegan Curry

Tired of ordering a takeout? Try this ultimate vegan Pumpkin & Pigeon Peas Curry tonite! It’s a comforting & lip smacking meal that’s easy to make as well!

Following a vegetarian or a plant based dist isn’t as hard or expensive as you may think! There are a handful of plant based recipes that I find myself making over and over again because they’re such perfect staples and easy on the wallet. I like to mix around my menu with fresh vegetables, legumes, lentils, grains and beans especially during the week. I also feel that its a good idea to  prep lunch ahead of time since options at the office isn’t always healthy. The midday nosh is important fuel for the rest of the day. So it’s important to treat ourselves well. Plus recipes like these can be made in a big batch. That ways you can cook once and eat twice or even thrice and if you are creative like me, save some to re-purpose for a completely different meal another day. Today’s recipe is one such dish. 

Did you know that Pigeon peas are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium? This legume is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Folate and Manganese. Its available in cans and in the frozen section at grocery stores. I have always seen it but never purchased it until now. No wonder, Pigeon peas make a well-balanced meal and hence are favored by nutritionists as an essential ingredient for balanced diets. It definitely is a significant source of protein in a mostly vegetarian/vegan diet. Till now, I thought that this was largely consumed in Asia, but I was wrong. In some places, such as the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Dominican Republic, Panama and Hawaii, its very popular. 

In fact, a dish with rice and green pigeon peas (called moro de guandules) is a traditional food in the Dominican Republic. I was found this information very fascinating. Since many cultures consume this legume, I wanted to create a very neutral recipe using some generic spices and flavors. It being the Fall season, I wanted to create some recipe with pumpkin. Got a can pf pumpkin puree and decided to try out two new and different recipes using it. The first one was Homemade Spiced Coffee & Pumpkin Latte and the other one was this curry. Now let me share with you how to make Pumpkin & Pigeon Peas Vegan Curry. My version is quick and easy which I am sure you will love. You can use frozen or canned pigeon peas for this recipe. It is a one-pot recipe and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. 

Prepare a smooth paste of chopped garlic, ginger, peanuts, coconut, cloves, sesame seeds, cilantro, coriander seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, dry jaggery powder, lemon juice and water. Keep this aside for now. Heat oil in a pan and once its hot, fry cumin seeds for 10 seconds. Then add sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Next add pumpkin puree along with 2-3 tablespoons of water and saute till the raw smell of pumpkin goes away. This could take 3-4 minutes. Then add the ground paste to the pan and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add water to get the desired gravy consistency. Bring to a boil and then add pigeon peas. Mix and cover the pan. Cook it for 8-10 minutes. Pumpkin & Pigeon Peas Vegan Curry is now ready. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve it with some flatbread. 

If you do try this recipe, please do share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. This will keep me motivated to develop more interesting recipes. Click a pic and post it with the hashtag #cookiliciousveg . I would love to see your pictures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

I use the hashtag #cookiliciousveg on all social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) so you can get access to what's cooking in my kitchen. To stay updated, you can either subscribe to our newsletter  (free gift if you do so!) or follow me on my social media Instagram , Facebook   and Twitter! There is even a Pinterest board called Cookilicious Recipes  from where you can pin the recipes you love.

Easy Kovalam Mutter | Vegan Green Peas Curry, Indian Gobi Methi Dry | Cauliflower Fenugreek Curry, South Indian Chickpeas Curry | Chettinad Kondai Kadalai Kuzhambu, Konkani Style Sprouted Mung Curry In An Instant Pot, Vegan White Pattani Kuzhambu | Dry Peas Curry Recipe, Simple Bengali Style Cabbage & Potato Curry Recipe, Sri Lankan Spiced Veggie Vegan Curry, Vangyacha Rassa Bhaji | Indian Eggplant Curry, Best Chanya Ros | Goan Vegetarian Vatana curry and South Indian Spinach & Lentils Keerai | Kootu | Curry are some vegan curries that you can try. 

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