Pumpkin Chana Masala (Pumpkin Curried Chick Peas)

"Ditch the Pumpkin Spice Latte"

Hello friends and happy October! As much as I love a good Pumpkin Spice Latte, I want to be more creative with how I consume and cook with pumpkin this fall. Excitingly, I found a recipe on Pinterest, and changed it up quite a bit to be my own, for Pumpkin Chana Masala. What is Chana Masala you ask? It simply means Indian chick pea curry. If you have yet to make any one of my thirty blog recipes in your own kitchen, it's okay...I won't be sad...AS LONG AS you try out this one! This is by far the yummiest dish I have ever created in my 22 years of living and it is so simple. Use a crock pot and don't forget the curry!

Pumpkin Chana Masala

-2 15 oz. cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained

-1 medium yellow onion, diced

-2 gloves garlic, minced

-2-3 cups organic vegetable broth (add the third cup after a few hours of cooking if the mixture seems too thick for your liking)

-1 cup green lentils, rinsed

-1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

-1 tbsp curry

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 tsp salt 

-1 15 oz. can coconut milk (look for this is in the international foods section of a grocery store)

-1 cup rice (or more if you'd like), cooked according to the instructions of the package (I used a whole grain rice/quinoa blend)

-fresh lime wedges (optional)

-fresh cilantro (optional but recommended!)

1. Add all ingredients except the coconut milk, rice, lime, and cilantro to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every so often.

2. At the end of 5 hours, add the coconut milk, stir, and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

3. Serve hot over rice, with a lime wedge and cilantro, and then go jump in a pile of leaves to feel even more fall! :)

This recipe should feed 4 hungry people. Happy fall (and vegan) eating!!!