Fuel Friday #4: Pumpkin Curry

Fuel Friday: Pumpkin Curry!

Pumpkin Curry
You heard me right, PUMPKIN CURRY. It’s October, and that only means one thing…. PUMPKIN EVERYTHING! Welcome to the Five Fridays of Pumpkin and this month, I’ll be writing a recipe every week featuring the single best squash out there… Pumpkin! So… pumpkin… curry? So foreign, so delicious. My favorite thing about this curry is it can be made to satisfy both omnivores and vegans alike! O_____O I know right?! Curry is so so SOOOOOO easy to make, you’ll be baffled why you didn’t do it before!

Let’s cut to the chase, WHY PUMPKIN?

1. Cheap – The amount of delicious nutrient packed fiberful goodness of pumpkin you get for every penny is astounding. A large pie pumpkin costs between $2-3, and a half a pumpkin is all you need for a pumpkin packed curry! 
2. Good for you - It is great for your skin and for your digestion, as well as feeing you that oh so needed large array of vitamins and minerals, including the ever elusive Vitamin A that us celiacs have trouble keeping in proper balance.
3. In Season! – Pumpkins THRIVE in these hard to grow areas I call home. They are very robust and can be found native in most areas, including the colder parts of the world  (but not Alaska cold I’m sure). They can handle a little frost and can store FOREVER. Stock up when on sale and they can last you 5-6 months easy in a cool dark place.

SOOOOOO this curry I keep bringing up, what is it?! It’s a Thai style red coconut curry that is so easy to put together. Most grocery stores have red curry paste in their Asian foods aisle. The ingredients are pretty simple, but I find the paste is good in a pinch, and it doesn’t have any crap in it. That plus canned coconut milk (avoid the kind with carrageen, there are plenty of kinds without it), make the base of the sauce… and the rest of the flavor comes with the veggies and friends you put in
it. So without further ado, here it is:

Coconut Curry

• 1 small pie pumpkin (or half a larger pie pumpkin) 
• 1 small head (or half a large head) napa cabbage – cut in ribbons
• 1 large carrot (or 2 small carrots) – chopped
• Peas/beans (however much you want, in the pod or loose)
• 1 leek or small onion – chopped or sliced
• 1 small can of pineapple (or ¼ pineapple chopped)
• Omnivore Option: 1 chicken breast chopped
• Vegan Option: 1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
• Optional: Thai Basil (or cilantro if you can’t find that)
• 1 can coconut milk (2 if you want an extra saucy curry)
• Red Curry Paste (to taste)
• Basmati Rice (to serve with the curry)

Directions:

1. Prep your pumpkin. Start by cutting it in half. Some find it easier to put the flat cut edge down and slice off the hard outer skin, others like to cut it in slivers/chunks and then chop off the skin like that. Either way you decide, de-shell the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, and chop into small chunks. 
2. Put pumpkin and onion (or leek) in pan, start to sauté. 
3. Add Red curry paste and sauté with pumpkin and onion until fragrant. 
4. Add coconut milk, mix until smooth. Add the remaining veggies and meat if desired.
5. Put a top on the pan, and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until pumpkin is soft). 
6. Finish by putting on the basil or cilantro. Serve on rice.