This is a recipe to incorporate two of what I thought were my least favourite things… store bought curry paste and gramma – a close relative of the pumpkin. Or probably its inbred cousin.

This recipe came about because someone I may or may not work with likes to buy Thai curry pastes in a big ol’ tub. I, however, like to make these things myself cos I think I am a little bit (or heaps) more special. But I also have a problem with wastage so I can never bring myself to throw these things out. So this week I decided to use one of the tubs of curry paste that may or maynot appear in my fridge and/or coolroom. This is Jessica Fletcher shit right here. Sinister and all sorts of degrees of mysterious…

The end product was good. I felt like I may have cheated on my morals a little, but this is a perfect recipe for quick and easy winter warmth.

I have realised the virtues of the gramma, and a decent, store bought curry paste. Even though I will not start buying them cos I still think I am heaps more special than that…

THAI SPICED GRAMMA SOUP

1 large gramma or pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cut into chunks

3-4 tbls mussaman curry paste

1 tin coconut cream

3 kaffir lime leaves

1-2 tbls fish sauce

2 tbls tamarind pulp or lime juice

fresh chilli if you want some proper spice

• Cook the curry paste on a medium heat until it smells fragrant
• Add the gramma, the coconut cream and enough water to not quite cover the gramma
• Simmer for 30 minutes or until soft
• Blitz until smooth
• Return to the heat with all other ingredients, simmer for a further 5 minutes
• Check seasoning
• A bit of chopped coriander would do all sorts of good things right now

There you go. That shit was easier than a group of drunken nineteen year old girls.