Pumpkin Curry

I bought a “sugar pie” pumpkin at the farmer’s market on Saturday. It was almost too cute to eat! Last time I tried pumpkin curry I roasted the pumpkin along with the potatoes and carrots, but that just made it dry and fragile. This time I wanted to try something different and it worked out much better. This is what we usually order when we eat at Thai restaurants – so that’s the inspiration for this curry.

Pumpkin Curry (serves 4-5)

1 small pumpkin – the one I bought was about 5 inches in diameter and weighed a pound or so.
2 potatoes
2 carrots
1 onion, cut into wedges
Vegetable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken broth
14 oz can coconut milk
4 oz can Thai yellow curry paste, I use Maesri brand that I find at the Asian market.
Salt & pepper

Steamed rice
Fresh cilantro leaves to garnish, optional

Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots into large chunks. Toss with 2 tsp oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on baking pan and roast for 20 minutes at 400° or until they are tender but not too soft.

Meanwhile, prep your pumpkin. Cut it in half from base to stem, and scrape out the stringy pulp and seeds. Peel each half with a potato peeler and cut into wedges.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the onions and fry them, stirring often, until they are browned around the edges. Remove the onions and set aside. Add 2 tsp of oil to the skillet and add the pumpkin wedges. Stir until they are coated with oil, and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pan. Simmer the pumpkin until it’s tender, 8-10 minutes. Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Add about 1/2 the can of curry paste to the remaining chicken broth in the pan, and stir until dissolved and bubbling. (The leftover paste will keep in a glass jar in the fridge for a long time.) Stir in the coconut milk, and raise the heat until it just starts to simmer. Add the sliced chicken, and gently simmer until it’s cooked through. Add the reserved onions, pumpkin, and roasted potatoes and carrots. Stir to combine, and heat through. Adjust seasoning and salt and pepper. Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.