Pumpkin is a great food for helping to regulate blood sugar and promotes healthy functioning of the pancreas (so it great for diabetics).  It gets a big tick for lung health so is great for asthmatics and sufferers of chronic lung conditions.

Seaweeds such as kombu benefits kidney function and help support the thyroid, important for hormonal balance in the body.  This dish also increases the digestibility of the beans – no bloating, no wind.  TIP if you want to keep this in the fridge add the seaweed only when reheating to avoid it getting slimy.

What to get

• 1 medium sized jap pumpkin
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup of dry Adzuki beans
• Organic non-roasted sesame oil
• 1 stick of kombu seaweed
• Sea salt (fine, not rock salt)
• Organic Tamari to taste
• Ume Plum Vinegar to taste (for creamy texture without the cream)

How to make it

First you will need to soak the beans overnight.

To start, you chop and fry up the onion in a pan with  oil until the “onion vapour” goes.   Then set aside.

In a heavy based pot (caste iron is great), cook adzuki beans in plenty of water with the kombu until soft.  Add a pinch of salt right at then end.

I like to oven roast my pumpkin (rubbed with a little oil and salt, skin on) before I pop it into the pot. This way you keep all the yummy and nutritious skin in your stew.  If you don’t have time, just pop your pumpkin pieces into the pot of beans with the cooked onion until the pumpkin is soft.

Give it time to make the stew a burnt orange hue.

Add tamari to season and, if you are missing the cream you normally add to pumpkin soups and stews, try ume plum vinegar instead.