How does a warm and creamy squash curry sound to you right now? Good, right?! This vegan curry is made with rich coconut milk and infused with enough spices to make your tongue tingle. It's the kind of dish that makes you look forward to dinner all day long.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in urban areas. Some of you may already have all this stuff in your kitchens. The next time you've got a big squash sitting on your counter staring you in the face, go ahead and cook up this curry. Serve it over brown basmati rice along with sautéed greens or cabbage and you've got a complete and healthy meal.
I have to give credit to James Oseland and his wonderful book, Cradle of Flavor. Though there aren't any recipes in it for Squash Curry, I was thumbing through it when I was inspired to create this recipe.
Tester's Notes
This curry intrigued me first for the use of butternut squash (my favorite!) and second for the fact that it is a hearty, yet pretty darn healthy, vegan dish. Perfect for a chilly winter afternoon.
It's worth going to the trouble of toasting and grinding your own spices, I think. The aromas and flavors of freshly-ground spices really punch up the whole dish. I also found that the jalapeño alone made this curry plenty hot for my taste, but if you'd like even more spicy heat, add the cayenne and dried red peppers. -Emma
Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry
Serves 4-62 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 medium (roughly 2 1/2 pound) butternut squash
3 tablespoons cooking oil, such as grapeseed or peanut oil
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño chile, chopped (seeds optional, for extra heat)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for extra heat)
2 small, dried red chilies (optional, for extra heat)
1 Balinese Long Pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Cilantro, for garnish
Cooked rice, to serve
In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds. Once cool, grind the toasted spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the squash into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 5-6 cups of squash.
Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add the chile, turmeric, cayenne (if using), small dried red chiles (if using), Balinese Long Pepper (if using), and the ground toasted spices. Stir to release fragrance, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
Add the squash, tamarind paste, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes until squash is tender and just beginning to break down. The squash will thicken the curry as it cooks down. If you want an extra-thick and creamy curry, puree a cup or two of the squash with an immersion blender and mix it back into the curry.
Garnish each plate with sprigs of cilantro and serve with cooked rice.
Related: Eight Things to Do with Butternut Squash
Originally published 12/12/06.
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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With this and that chicken recipe from yesterday, I'm bound to have a curried evening in my kitchen tonight!
Where does one get Tamarind pulp. Tamarind is an ingredient that I'm not all that familiar with. This curry sounds amazing, by the way.
I am so making this over the weekend! This looks amazing Vanessa! Can't wait to try it... who says vegan food is boring? Do you think tamarind paste would substitute ok?
Grant,
I have seen tamarind pulp in Dean and DeLuca (Laxmi brand -- in the Asian curry pastes section right next to the fish department in the Soho store). Tamarind is tart and very slightly sweet; a little goes a long way.
You will also be able to pick this up in Kalustyans, Asian ingredient heaven, in curry hill. You can also get dried tamarind in Kalustyans. Tamarind pulp is basically rehyderated dry tamarind. I think dried tamarind might be a better option over tamarind pulp because it keeps better and doesn’t take up fridge space. I rehydrate dried tamarind as needed (a lemon-sized ball soaked in a cup of hot water for about 20 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp and liquid and throw away the fiber and seeds).
emmm... sorry, just realized the kitchen section is not just a new york section... i was talking about soho and curry hill in manhattan
Grant,
Any Asian grocery store that carries southeast asian ingredients will have it. It comes in a pliable brick and you just break peices off. It keeps forever. You also might find it in Indian groceries. The brick I have hails from Thailand.
Does coconut milk even come in 1-ounce cans? That seems like it might be a typo --- I can't imagine a single ounce of coconut milk would make any taste-impression against all the other ingredients.
I was going to make butternut squash soup tonight for dinner but may try this instead. A couple of questions: is the 1oz of coconut milk a typo (assuming you mean 1 14oz can of coconut milk but woudl like clarification) and is the tamarind paste essential to the dish and are there any substitutions. I would rather NOT have to go to the store for this if I don't have to.
@rosebud - Yes, that should be a 14-oz can of coconut milk! Fixed now. The tamarind adds a nice tangy flavor to the dish, but I think it would still be delicious without. If you think it's lacking acidity and tanginess when you taste the finished dish, you could add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or a splash of vinegar.
How do you convert the spices if you are planning on using them dried? Is one teaspoon of dried cumin the same as 1 tsp of cumin seeds?
This looks delicious and I'm excited to finally break open my jar of tamarind paste and try it! The nutritionist in me, though, wants to point out a tiny flaw in the wording "complete and healthy meal" - it is certainly healthy but in nutrition-speak the word "complete" as used here implies that this meal is a complete protein source. There isn't really any protein in this dish, even with the rice - just sayin'. Vegans who may be ending their day with this supper and are realizing they haven't had much protein yet could sub quinoa or a rice/quinoa mix, or I bet it would be terrific with a can of chickpeas mixed in. Otherwise, I can't wait to try it. (with a sliced hard boiled egg on top!)
@bketchum -- Try using slightly less pre-ground spices than the spices called for in the recipe (a scant teaspoon for a full teaspoon, etc.). You can also skip the toasting and grinding step.
@myrhh -- Thanks for the info! Yes, I think the original author meant "complete" in a non-technical sense. Great tip about subbing quinoa and adding chickpeas!
Made this last night and it was a big hit w/not only my husband and I, but also our 5 yr old daughter. Because I was feeding a little one, I used only 1/2 of a jalapeno and omitted the optional cayenn, red chiles and balinese pepper. Even without those three items, it still had a pleasant but not overpowering heat to the dish-perfect for a cold January night. Thanks for the great recipe. I'd make this one again.
Sounds really good...but can it be called a curry when curry isn't even an ingredient?
ashk - A curry is a type of dish, not a spice. What we have in the US that is called 'curry powder' is a spice mixture made up of fenugreek, coriander, turmeric and red pepper.
So this dish, butternut squash simmered in a flavorful spice sauce, definitely qualifies as a curry.
Just made this - delicious! I added half a sweet potato because my butternut squash was on the small side. Thanks!!
Made this yesterday. Added chickpeas. Delicious!
my mom never cooked with butternut squash, but I'm finding it lends itself well to Indian spices. This is a spiced butternut squash and dill soup recipe: http://abcdsofcooking.blogspot.com/2013/01/spiced-butternut-squash-dill-soup.html
It may be a little sacrilege, but I have a variety of the Maesri curry pastes (red, yellow, green, panang) and was wondering which would be the best substitute for this dish.