Pumpkin Curry

Curry is one of those delicious, warm-your-soul foods that can be customized to fit any pallet. Hearty vegetables combined with a healthy balance of sweet and spicy leave you warm, happy and full of nutrients. Even better is how easy and quick it is to prepare, making it great for busy weekday dinners. In this recipe, we use eggplants, beans and turnips from this week’s CSA – but sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower all work great as well.

The key to making great curry is using generous amounts of aromatics to build the foundation, including a full bodied sweet base to add richness and throwing in a splash of rice vinegar to enhance its complexity. In this recipe, we use pumpkin over traditional coconut milk to give our curry a hint of fall while cutting calories. Thai curry paste gives the dish a deep earthy flavor with sweet and savory hints, and can be found in most grocery stores. As a bonus, the meal is easy to keep vegetarian and vegan, or meat can be added for an omnivore friendly option.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

1 tablespoon of minced ginger (about a 1-inch nub)

1 onion, diced

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 bunch of turnips, cut into ¼-inch chunks

1 pepper of your favorite color, sliced into 2-inch strips

4 oz. green beans, snapped in half

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons, or more to taste of curry paste

1 can (14 oz.) pumpkin

¼-1/2 cup of water

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Red pepper flakes or spicy Thai peppers

Basil for garnish

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large skillet with deep sides, warm oil over medium heat. Once the oil is smoking hot, add the garlic, onion and ginger. Cook until onion is translucent while stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the curry paste and stir frequently for 2 minutes.
3. Add the peppers, turnips, beans and eggplants. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers become tender enough to pierce with a fork, around 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the pumpkin and ¼ cup of water. Combine all the ingredients while bringing the mixture to a steady simmer. Lower the heat and gently simmer until carrots and other veggies have reached desired softness, anywhere from 5-20 minutes depending on your preference. Add additional water reach preferred consistency.
5. Add red pepper flakes and/or sliced hot peppers while the curry is simmering until you reach your desired spice level. Peppers can also be added to individual dishes for families with varied taste buds.
6. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the vinegar to really bring out the complexity of all the flavors.
7. Scoop in a bowl or over rice, garnish with some basil and enjoy!