Thai Kabocha Squash Curry (Vegan)

Here you see Thai Kabocha Squash Curry served with brown rice. 
Also pictured is a bowl of fresh plums with
Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt and Lemon Poppy Seed Granola. 

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life (Nisha Vora)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6

Kabocha squashes are turning up at the grocery stores and I couldn’t help myself, even though it’s still summery outdoors.  But what a treat this was!  Good enough for company, as I like to say.  This was full of flavor and definitely comforting, so perfect for autumn/winter time.  And, it freezes well.  Rainbow Plant Life comes through again.  All of the recipes I’ve tried from Nisha’s YouTube channel/blog have been excellent.

Ingredients

1 medium kabocha squash

½ -1 cup water (or vegetable broth)

1-1½ Tablespoons coconut oil* (or oil of choice)

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

Kosher salt or sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

4 cloves garlic, minced

2- inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced

1-2 Thai bird’s eye chili peppers, thinly sliced* (optional)

¼ cup red curry paste (use less to make it less spicy) (I used 1/8 cup.)

1 (13.5 ounce) can “lite” or reduced-fat coconut milk (I used full fat coconut milk because that’s what I had on hand.)

1 Tablespoon maple syrup, agave nectar, or coconut sugar

1 Tablespoon reduced sodium tamari** (gluten-free soy sauce)

1 Tablespoon white or yellow miso paste*** (optional but recommended)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained) or about 3 cups cooked chickpeas

1-2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

For serving: white or brown rice or grains of choice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Use a large, sharp knife to slice the kabocha squash in half. Once sliced in half, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Lightly brush each squash half with a bit of oil (coconut oil or avocado oil) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the squash halves, flesh side down, on the sheet pan. Roast for 40-45 minutes until the flesh is very tender. If your squash is large, bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skin, and discard the skin. Place the kabocha squash flesh in a blender and add ½ cup water (or vegetable broth) and puree until very smooth. You should end up with approximately 3 cups of liquid. (I added 1 cup of veggie broth to make it less thick.)

While the kabocha squash is roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers, and measure out the spices and other ingredients.

Heat a Dutch oven or a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and carrots along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 min, or until they are very tender and lightly browned.

Add the garlic, ginger, chile peppers (if using) and the red curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables in the aromatics. If you aren’t using a nonstick skillet, you may need to add a tablespoon of water to prevent the mixture from drying out and burning.

Pour the pureed kabocha squash sauce into the pan, then add the lite coconut milk, tamari, miso paste (if using), maple syrup, and turmeric, and black pepper to taste. Stir or whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Add the canned chickpeas and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the curry has become thick and creamy, and the veggies are fully softened.

When ready to serve, stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve with white rice or grains of choice.

Notes

*If you are sensitive to spicy food, omit the chile peppers. Alternatively, you can use a less spicy pepper, such as a jalapeño pepper.

**Tamari is gluten-free but soy sauce is not, so if you use soy sauce, just keep in mind that the recipe won’t be gluten-free.

***The miso paste adds a deep, complex umami flavor. If you don’t have any, you’ll want to add a bit of salt at this stage.

****331 Calories per serving