Harissa Roasted Squash With Kale 

the interview London Karma Cans

Set up by two sisters Eccie and Gini, Karma Cans is a lunch company cycling their deliveries all over Central and East London. Inspired by the dabbawala system in Mumbai, Karma Cans create healthy, delicious food and use only fresh, sustainable produce. Here is their Harissa Roasted Squash recipe to brighten up you January!

You'll need (serves 4):
3 peppers

2 long red chillies

3 cloves garlic

6 tbsp red wine vinegar

30g blue poppy seed toasted and ground

150g caraway seed toasted and ground

15g cumin toasted and ground

5 g coriander seed toasted and ground

20 g paprika (smoked)

10 tbsp olive oil

zest of 5 lemons

1/2 tsp rose water

1 dried ancho chille

3 cherry tomatoes

slat and pepper


Half and de-seed the peppers and roast with the chillies and tomatoes for 45 mins at 160 in a drizzle of the oil and vinegar.

Meanwhile, get all the other harissa ingredients ready.

Toast and grind the spices to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar; grind up the ancho chilli; zest those lemons; add a little vinegar to loose and then grind it all in the pestle and mortar.

Pound the garlic up and pull the peppers and chillies and tomatoes out of the oven, they should be extremely soft and golden.

Blitz in a food processor, add the vinegar, add half the oil, add all the spices, chillies, garlic, lemon zest, rose water, then blitz for another 10-20 seconds until smooth.

Season to taste.

Pour into a bowl, top with oil and store in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy! 

Looking for more inspiration? Head to the Karma Cans Instagram account to get very very hungry.