Thai Pumpkin Curry w Optional Garbanzo Beans

Samina Ali

ingredients

Version1: Thai Pumpkin Curry with Garbanzo Beans, from scratch

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 small pumpkin (or subsitute 1 acorn squash, butternut, or any other orange squash except spaghetti)
1 small or 1/2 large yam or sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1-2 medium carrots, cut into thick slices
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 can chick peas, drained
2 Tbsp. grated orange rind
CURRY SAUCE:
3-4 cloves garlic
1-2 fresh red chillies (or substitute fresh green chillies, OR 1-2 tsp Thai chilli sauce)
1 1/2 can coconut milk
1 tsp. tamarind paste (or substitute 1 Tbsp. lime juice)
2 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce (or regular fish sauce if you are non-vegetarian), or substitute 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lime
juice of 1 medium orange
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp. ground coriander seeds, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, and 1 tsp. fennel seed (preferably all ground in a coffee grinder)
1/3 purple onion, sliced
GARNISH:
handful of fresh basil leaves
optional: 1 Tbsp. roasted pumpkin seeds and a few nasturium flowers (or other edible flowers)

version2:

1 pumpkin cubed
1 yellow onion diced
1 butternut squash
3tbs red curry paste
1can coconut cream
2 stalks lemongrass
1 inch grated ginger
a handfull of grated garlic cloves
1 juliened each of yellow and red and green pepper
1 sweet potato
3 coined carrots
I tbs miso paste or better than bullion base
1lb of protien of choice
3tbs dry curry powder
4 peeled diced gala apples

Version 3:

1/4 chopped peeled small pumpkin (about 3 cups)
1/4 can (1oo mls)Light Coconut Milk (I used Blue Dragon brand)
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
garam masala (can omit if you don’t have this)
chilli powder or chopped/minced fresh chilli

directions

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Version 1:
2
1. To make the curry sauce, place all sauce ingredients together in a food processor (or blender if you don’t have a processor). Process well. Set aside.
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2. Prepare pumpkin or squash by cutting it open and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Either save the seeds for roasting, or discard. Cut the pumpkin/squash into cubes, slicing off the skin. You will probably only use 1/3 to 1/2 a pumpkin for this recipe (save the rest in the refrigerator for cooking later).
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3. Prepare the rest of the vegetables plus the orange rind.
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4. Place the pumpkin (or squash), yam, and carrots in the wok/frying pan together with the curry sauce over medium-high heat. Stir well.
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5. When the curry begins to boil, reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Don’t overcook, prevent cooking it to a mush.
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6. Add the chick peas, and orange rind, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
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7. Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add a little more [vegetarian] fish sauce (or soy sauce), 1 tsp. at a time. If not spicy enough for your taste, add more fresh chilli (or chilli sauce).
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8. Add the bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, some chopped basil at the end, turn off the stove, then stir, cover the lid and let it sit for a few minutes.
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9. To serve, sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and pumpkin seeds, then top with several nasturium flowers (if using). Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice (white or brown).

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version 2:
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heat oil in pan, add onions and garlic and ginger, carmelize. stir in pumpkin and brown then remove pumpkin only and set aside. add curry paste and protien. when protien is mostly cooked add bullion or miso and 3 cups of water, stir in root veggies, apples and lemongrass and cover. add dry curry powder to coconut cream and stir in half to veggie mix, cover.
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cut butternut squash in half and lie face down in 400 degree oven in shallow pan of water. bake untill shell is soft and scortched looking. let cool a bit and scoop soft inside into pot. Add pumpkin and the rest of the coconut cream and the peppers and cover. let simmer for 20 minutes at least.