I love curry. The bold spices, warm flavors and beautiful colors bring back fun memories of exploring new restaurants in the western pacific. Its not really as fancy as it sounds. My husband and I lived on the island of Okinawa while he was stationed there and we quickly found out that curry is very popular in this part of the world.
Many cultures have their own version of curry and I love all of them. When I cook curry at home, I usually blend the spices and methods of a few different types together and this is exactly what I did with this fabulous butternut squash curry…
This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan and capitalizes on the abundance of butternut squash we have this time of year. The texture of the roasted squash is hearty and satisfying and the flavor of the curry combines savory and sweet in a delicious way.
Let’s get it started…
Start by peeling and cubing a small butternut squash. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper over them. Bake the butternut squash in a 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until they are fork tender.
While the squash is baking, let’s start the curry…
To make the curry, you will need 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of minced ginger, 2 small serrano chilies that have been minced finely, 6 roma tomatoes cut into quarters, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 can of full fat coconut milk.
*Note: If you want to serve your curry with rice (which I highly recommend, as it soaks up the flavors beautifully), cook it according to manufactures instructions while the squash is baking.
Start by adding the minced garlic, ginger and serrano chilies and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan and place it over medium high heat. Cook this mixture until it begins to brown and caramelized. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally and scrape up any brown bits off of the bottom of the sauce pan.
Once the garlic, ginger and chilies are browned, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and the spices into the sauce pan and stir to combine. Cook this mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring consistently, until the mixture becomes a thick, dark paste.
This thick, dark curry paste is like an absolute flavor explosion and it will bring so much seasoning to our curry.
To this paste, add 3/4 cup of water and whisk to loosen it up. Add the quartered tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes on a low heat. You want the heat high enough to maintain the simmer, but not so high that the curry boils rapidly. This simmering will help to further develop flavors and will break down the tomatoes.
This thick consistency and deep rusty color is exactly what we are looking for. Transfer the mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse until it is smooth. Transfer it back into the sauce pan and add 1/2 can of coconut milk.
Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for a few more minutes until the coconut milk is fully incorporated into the curry mixture and then as soon as the butternut squash cubes are done, toss them in…
This butternut squash curry should definitely be accompanied by some fluffy rice, a bit of finely chopped cilantro and a few lime wedges. Fresh lime juice may not sound like it goes with butternut squash, but it brings a fun tart element to the warm spices of this curry.
Now, I am a total meat lover, but this bowl is perfect. It is needs nothing added. It has great texture, bold flavors and a little kick of heat that I love. This curry reheats well too. Just return the saucepan to medium low until it is warmed through.
In addition to the rice, naan bread goes wonderfully with this butternut squash curry. How else are you going to clean your bowl?
Butternut Squash Curry
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, cubed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 2 small serrano chilies, minced
- 6 roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 can full fat coconut milk
- 4 cups white rice, prepared (optional)
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional garnish)
- lime wedges (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Place peeled and cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until fork tender
- While the butternut squash is baking, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the minced ginger, garlic and serrano chilies in a medium saucepan and place over medium to medium high heat
- Allow the mixture to cook, stirring occasionally to scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until it begins to brown and become very fragrant
- Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and the spices and stir to combine
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring consistently
- Add the quartered tomatoes, 3/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer
- Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down
- Transfer the mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth
- Return the mixture to the sauce pan and place over medium low heat
- Add 1/2 can of coconut milk and simmer over low heat from several minutes
- Add the roasted butternut squash cubes and toss in the sauce
- Serve with rice (optional) and garnish with finely chopped cilantro and lime wedges
