Uncle Fafa’s oriental pan-fried pumpkin and green beans

Ingredients

• 1/2 small pumpkin or 1/3 if large (photo of the one in the mandala)
• 2 large handfuls of fresh green beans
• 1 large onion
• Olive oil
• Walnuts and/or hazelnuts
• 1/2 glass of water
• 100ml coconut milk
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon herbes de provence
• 1 level teaspoon curry powder
• Salt & pepper
• Balsamic vinegar

Recipe

1. Quickly cook the green beans to soften them (steam or boil)
2. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and cut into 2cm quarters (see photo), then dice into 1cm cubes (the thinner the cubes, the more tender they will be when cooked, but not too thin to retain their flavour and crispiness).
3. Caramelise the onions in a little olive oil in a wok (or large frying pan) over a medium heat
4. Add the diced pumpkin and beans, cut into 2cm pieces
5. Crush the walnuts and hazelnuts into coarse pieces, without grinding them to a powder, then add them to the pan, along with the herbs de Provence and the rosemary leaves removed from their sprigs
6. Sauté over a high heat and stir until the pieces of pumpkin start to toast slightly
7. Add the coconut milk and curry powder and season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally to cook the mixture.
8. Taste as you go along to adjust the spices to your taste.
9. When the coconut milk starts to become a little too pasty, add a little water to balance the mixture so that it is not too compact. The right amount of creaminess is essential to the success of this dish. It depends on your tastes and the freshness and quantity of your vegetables. To adjust the acidity a little, you can add a few drops of balsamic vinegar.