PUMPKIN, POTATO AND NIGELLA SALAD

I thoroughly enjoy making warming salads at this time of the year. I love using the wide variety of hearty autumn vegetables and combining them with spices.  Nigella seeds will not only add a delicious flavour to your salad but it has many healthy medicinal properties.

Serves 6

ingredients

1 ½ Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

1 kg pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into wedges

500g waxy potato, cut into bite sized pieces

1 ¼ tsp nigella seeds

1 large red onion, sliced thickly

½ tsp ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon

4 cardamom pods, lightly smashed

1 green chilli

1 Tbsp coconut or brown sugar

1 cup vegetable stock

2 Tbsp parsley, roughly chopped

300g kale, stalks removed and finely shredded

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Natural yoghurt to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C

Melt the butter and oil in a large oven dish.  Add the nigella seeds and allow to infuse the oil for 1 minute.

Add the pumpkin and potatoes and toss in the oil.

Add the onion and spices.

Pierce the whole chilli with a fork and add to the pan.

Season with salt and cracked pepper, toss well to combine.

Pour over the stock, stir gently and bring to the boil.

Continue cooking in the oven until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Add the shredded kale and parsley and mix through, allow to sit for 5 minutes so the kale can wilt a little.

Serve with dollops of yoghurt over it.