Step 1

Make sure you've made your curry base sauce, don't forget that this can be made ahead - see link below

Step 2

Prepare your garlic ginger paste, this can be made ahead, the day before or can even be frozen - see link below

Step 3

Prepare your spice mix, this can be made in advance to speed up the cooking of your vegetable bhuna - see link below

Step 4

Now, preheat your oven to 200C/400F

Step 5

Then you'll need to peel and deseed your butternut squash and chop into bite sized pieces

Step 6

Place the pieces on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and cook for 30 minutes

Step 7

Next, take your tomato puree and dilute it with water, use a little at a time, you need it to be the same consistency as a good passata sauce

Step 8

Now it's time to prep your vegetables. Peel and chop your onions

Step 9

Thinkly slice your green chilli's, if you don't like a really spicy curry then deseed the chillies, but if you like to crank the heat up then leave the seeds in

Step 10

Cut your cherry tomatoes in half and quarter your large vine tomatoes

Step 11

Wash your spinach

Step 12

Chop your coriander (cilantro) stems - don't discard the leaves, you'll need them later

Step 13

Now take a large frying pan and heat it over medium heat, then add in the remainder of your vegetable oil and heat the oil. We know this sounds excessive but this is how bhuna is made, trust us here

Step 14

When the vegetable oil is ready, it's time to add in your peeled and chopped onions. Make sure you keep stirring them for around a minute or so until they start to brown

Step 15

Now it's time to add the garlic ginger paste, cook it until it stops spitting, you need to stir it all of the time, you don't want it sticking while it's cooking

Step 16

Next to go in the pan are your green chilli's and coriander cilantro stems. This will cook very quickly in around 20 seconds

Step 17

Then it's time for your spice mix, turn the heat down and add them in, stirring constantly, you don't want the spices to burn, stir for 30 seconds

Step 18

Now turn the heat back up and add in your tomato puree that you've made into tomato sauce, stir it in and cook for 1 minute

Step 19

Now slowly add in your curry base sauce, just a little at a time, keep stirring and cook for around 2 - 3 minutes

Step 20

Next, add in your tamarind sauce, stir it in and lower the heat

Step 21

Now it's time to add in your vegetarian chicken and cooked butternut squash. Give it a good stir and let the vegetable bhuna curry simmer away for 5 minutes

Step 22

Keep an eye on it and if it looks like it's too thick for you, then simply add more curry base sauce

Step 23

Now add in your cherry tomatoes, vine tomatoes and spinach, stir to incorporate the ingredients and leave it to cook for a further 3 minutes

Step 24

Once it's cooked, then serve in plates or bowls topped with chopped fresh coriander leaves

Step 25

Serve with rice, naan bread or chapatis

Step 26

Banging Bhuna - enjoy your curry!