Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin Curry

from delish.com
60 min
1 servings

This pumpkin curry is made all the more pumpkin-y by blending some of the orange flesh directly into the coconut curry sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 small pumpkin or kabocha squash (about 3 to 3 ½ lb)
  • 5 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 c. Thai red curry paste
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
  • 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
  • 1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 Thai bird's eye chilis, sliced
  • 1/3 c. canned bamboo shoots, drained and sliced into thin matchsticks
  • 1/2 lime, juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1/4 c. fresh Thai basil, plus more thinly sliced for serving
  • Lime wedges, for serving
  • Steamed rice, for serving

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 400º. Halve the pumpkin, scoop out seeds and discard. Cut into 8 to 10 thick wedges. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of oil and season with salt. Roast until almost completely tender (you should be able to stick a fork in with just a bit of resistance), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.

  2. 2

    When cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to carefully remove the skin from the pumpkin. Roughly chop the pumpkin into 2 inch pieces. Find some more tender pieces and mash enough to fill a ¼ cup measure and set aside.

  3. 3

    In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high. Once the oil is shimmering, add red curry paste and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and has darkened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in coconut milk and simmer about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

  4. 4

    Add mashed pumpkin and ¼ cup water to coconut mixture and, using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Alternately, transfer mixture to a regular blender, and puree until smooth; return sauce to pot.).

  5. 5

    Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, shallot, chili, and bamboo shoots to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the veggies have begun to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and add reserved pumpkin and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

  6. 6

    Just before serving, stir in lime juice, fish sauce and Thai basil leaves. Ladle curry over white rice and top with sliced basil. Serve with lime wedges.