Indian cuisine, with its liberal use of health-promoting spices, is one of my primary culinary inspirations. Spices lift everyday vegetables and legumes to great culinary heights – and offer powerful antioxidants and cancer-preventing phytochemicals too.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups water or stock (I used the liquid I retained from cooking chick peas)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp black pepper

Pinch of chilli powder – to taste

1 small butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced

1 medium eggplant, diced

2 medium zucchinis, diced

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

250 g frozen chopped spinach

2 cups cooked chick peas

1 cup light coconut milk

Cooked brown rice, to serve

Method:

In a large saucepan, water sauté garlic, ginger and onion in 1/2 cup water or stock for 4 minutes or until soft. Add spices and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Add remaining water or stock, pumpkin and eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining vegetables along with chick peas and simmer for another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in coconut milk and simmer until heated through. Serve over cooked brown rice.