Kaddu With Greens and Shrimp

Kaddu With Greens and Shrimp

from cooking.nytimes.com
70 min
4 servings

The base for this stew is a simply spiced, South Asian–style preparation of kaddu, or squash, seasoned with ginger, garlic, cumin, chile powder and garam masala. In this recipe, the addition of coconut milk, kale and shrimp leads to a complex, flavorful and hefty meal. The sweetness of the coconut milk provides a counterbalance to the heavily spiced squash, while greens add a touch of bitterness. To save on prep time, you can use 6 cups of store-bought precut squash instead of peeling and chopping your own. For a vegetarian version of this dish, you can simply skip the shrimp.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
  • Salt
  • 1/4 cup ghee or neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder
  • 3 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 medium butternut squash or small pumpkin (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 1 medium bunch lacinato kale (about 1/2 pound), or other greens such as spinach, thick stems discarded, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
  • Lemon wedges and rice, for serving

Directions

  1. 1

    Season shrimp with salt and set aside.

  2. 2

    Heat ghee in a large pot on high for 30 seconds. Add cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in ginger and garlic. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in turmeric powder and red chile, then add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down, 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. 3

    Stir in squash, reduce heat to medium, then cover and cook until squash is almost tender, about 12 minutes.

  4. 4

    Turn the heat up to high and stir in coconut milk and kale. Cook, uncovered, until the kale has wilted, about 10 minutes.

  5. 5

    Lower heat to medium and stir in the seasoned shrimp. Cover and cook until the shrimp is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt, top with garam masala and serve with lemon wedges and rice if you like.