Dragon Lady Turmeric Pumpkin and Roasted Chilli Jam

Ingredients for sandwich

• 12 each whole wheat crossaints,
• lightly toasted and buttered
• 600g turmeric pumpkin
• 6 tablespoons chilli jam
• baby herbs for garnish

Ingredients for chilli jam

• 5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 2 star anise
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 55g brown sugar
• 1 tsp five spice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 375ml apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups dried currants
• 2 large green apples, scored, peeled, chopped
• 2 cups seeded red chillies, sliced
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 tbs apple juice

Method

1. Place cloves, cinnamon and star anise on a small square of cheese cloth, then tie with kitchen string to form a parcel. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in sugar, mixed spice, ginger, vinegar, currants, apples, chillies, zest and juice, apple juice, spice parcel and 250ml water.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1-1 1/2 hours until reduced by one-third.
5. Cool slightly, then spoon jam into a container. Chill

Ingredients for turmeric pumpkin

• 2 red onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2.5 cm piece of ginger
• 500 g pumpkin
• 2 fresh green chillies
• vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
• 6 limes
• cider vinegar
• 250 g brown sugar

Method

1. Peel and finely slice the onions, then peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Peel, deseed and chop the pumpkin into 2cm chunks, then halve and deseed the chillies. Put aside for later.
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into a large saucepan over a high heat. When the oil is smoking hot, add mustard and fenugreek seeds, then stir in the onion, garlic and ginger.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the mixture is dark brown and smelling fantastic. Add the ground spices, cook for 1 further minute, then add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for a few minutes.
5. Finely grate the lime zest into the pan. Squeeze the lime juice into a measuring jug and top up to 500ml with cider vinegar. Pour into the pan, add the pumpkin and chillies, and bring back to the boil.
6. Cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin is just cooked.
7. Lift the pumpkin out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of sea salt and the sugar to the pan, and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced and thickened.
8. Fold the pumpkin back into the pan and keep chilled for a couple of days

Assembly

1. To assemble the sandwiches, spread a thin coat of chilli jam onto bottom halves of croissants.
2. Top with turmeric pumpkin.
3. Top with some chilli jam.
4. Garnish with baby herbs and top with upper halves of croissants.