Pumpkin curry recipe

5 from 3 votes

In India they tend to use small 'tinda' pumpkins for curry (try Tayyabs in London's East End for a fantastic version) but I like to use a firmer fleshed squash such as butternut. This recipe uses up other autumnal ingredients such as green tomatoes - the ones that haven't had enough time to ripen on the vine before blight attacks the plant. Serve with rice and yoghurt for a full meal.

Servings: 5

Ingredients

3 dried kashmiri chillies soaked, deseeded.
50 ml ground nut or vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 large black cardamom
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
A pinch of cloves ground
1 Butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cubed
3 tbsps tamarind paste
3 cloves garlic crushed
3 cm fresh ginger grated
3 cm fresh turmeric root grated
10 green tomatoes red or yellow can also be used but green adds a little acidity
1 tbsp sea salt less if using table salt
250 ml coconut milk buy a good brand without thickeners or additives
30 g fresh coriander leaves or one pot

Instructions

Soak the chillies in boiling water. In the meantime, heat up the oil a deep frying pan or saucepan.
Add the mustard seeds and wait until they pop. Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, bay and cloves. Add the butternut squash to the pan, stirring on high heat then lower the heat to medium.
Remove the chillies from the boiling water, snipping off the stems and seeds. Place them in a blender with the tamarind paste and a little water. Blend until you have a watery paste. Add this chilli tamarind paste to the pan and stir.
Add the garlic, then grate in the ginger and turmeric. Add the green tomatoes, followed by the salt and coconut milk.
Cook on a medium to low heat until the butternut squash is tender. Finally, add the fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Notes

What to drink with pumpkin curry: A crisp but full bodied white is just the ticket to stand up to the spices and slight heat of this recipe.