Sri Lankan Chicken and Pumpkin Curry

I have been making a typical Sri Lankan curry for years, but I have always used spinach, this weekend I could not get any fresh spinach but decided to add pumpkin.

Adding the pumpkin to the curry changed the dynamics of the recipe and made it drier and sweeter.

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
10 curry leaves
2 large red onions, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 thumb of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon of hot paprika
 salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
3  tomatoes, chopped
6 green cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass, outer leaves removed and bashed
1.5kg chicken thigh cutlets, cut into 4cm cubes
1 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cauliflower, cut into small florets
500g butternut pumpkin, peeled and seeds removed and cut into 2cm cubes
A handful of frozen peas
Garnish with fresh coriander

Method

1. In a large pan, heat oil and fry fenugreek and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onions, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, fennel, cumin, paprika, salt and vinegar and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir through tomatoes, cardamom, cinnamon stick and lemon grass. Add chicken and stir over medium heat until chicken is sealed and thoroughly coated with the spices. Cover and cook over a low heat for 40-50 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy has developed.
4. Add coconut milk, cauliflower and pumpkin and cook uncovered until soft, about 10 minutes. Add peas and cook for a further 2 minutes until warmed through. Serve hot with coriander, rice and yoghurt.