Cooking Time:  1 – 1.5 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 carrots
400-500g mushrooms
3 medium potatoes (Maris Pipers)
1 small pumpkin/squash 
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
5 bay leaves
Thyme (if not, mixed herbs)
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 veg stock cubes
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
400ml tin chopped tomatoes
500ml veg stock
Salt and pepper
Bread

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.

1. Peel and chop all of the vegetables, ready to cook.
2. Add the onion and garlic to a large oven-proof pan over medium heat with a dash of oil. Fry until softened.
3. Add in the paprika, cumin, bay leaves and thyme, stirring through with a splash of water.
4. Add in the carrots and mushrooms, mixing with the spices and onions. Fry until the mushrooms have reduced.
5. Next, add the pumpkin, potatoes, flour, puree, stock cubes and Worcester sauce, mixing together with all of the veg.
6. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil.
7. Once boiling, reduce, turn off the heat, put the lid on and place in the oven.

Stew for 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours, checking in between and adding water if needed. You may need to remove the lid half way through for the liquid to thicken, all depending on your oven.  Add salt and pepper to taste and then serve with chunky bread or tiger loaf.

If you would like to add meat then cube the preferred meat and brown this off before the onions, fry to seal the meat and add another 30 minutes to the cooking time.