Pumpkin in Coconut Curry

Ok, once again a demo of how much I love coconut and coconut curries! 'Tis the season of pumpkins and this dish is just so hearty and delicious in a cool night. I had been thinking of something different to do with pumpkin and after watching an episode on Sri Lankan cooking on Food Safari, I was inspired to concoct this curry. I really don't have a taste for curry leaf which is an essential ingredient for south Indian and Sri Lankan cooking so, it has been conveniently omitted. It is also a versatile dish and can be left up to your imagination to try things out. Its an extensive list and may look complicated --but I promise you that it took me only 5 mins to put together...well, I have a lot of spices on my shelf and within easy reach and kind of just threw things in that I felt went well together! So here it is...

I apologize for not having a lot of measurements, I tend to just eyeball and guesstimate when cooking, so this recipe can be for advanced cooks or adventurous new cooks!

Step 1

oil - to sautee
onion
garlic-minced
ginger-minced
dry red chilis-2 whole
nigella-a pinch
coriander seeds-a pinch
cinnamon-1 inch
bay leaf-1 large leaf
cardamom-3-4 crushed pods
mustard seeds-1 tsp.

Step 2

coconut milk-1/2 a can (depends on how much pimpkin and how much curry u want)
cumin powder-1/2 tsp
coriander powder-1/2 tsp
chili powder-depends on how hot u like it
turmeric powder-1/2 tsp.
pumpkin-2 cups peeled & diced bite size
salt-to taste

Step 3

short grain rice-1 tbsp.
fresh grated coconut-2 tbsp.
whole cumin-1 tsp.

1. Heat oil in a wok or pot and start with red chili, bay leaf, cinnamon and slowly add the onions and the rest from Step 1. Sautee till onions a transparent. The mustard seeds will splutter so be careful and also careful not to burn them, add as one of the last ingredients.

2. Mix all from Step 2 together in a bowl and add into the pan with the onions-with the pumpkin. Add water to boil the pumpkin. I added about 1 can full but depends how much curry you want. Add salt to taste.

3. While pumpkin is boiling, in a dry pan roast the rice & coconut till a nutty brown color, add in cumin seeds and roast for 1 min till fragrant. Grind to a powder, its a delicious nutty fragrance!

4. Add the rice powder mix to the curry to thicken it up. Check the salt and you could add sprinkle of sugar to sweeten a little bit. It really brightens the flavor. Taste test. You can squeeze a little bit of lime when serving for an extra bit of tang.

I served it up with a side of friend mashed prawns and fluffy coconut rice with some green chili for extra spice. The left overs were great the next day for breakfast with some fresh rotis!

Eggplant, Pumpkin & Tomatoes

I have to really remember to take pics. i don't own a digi cam - but my camera on my phone works well...just not as beautiful as I see it up close =(

This is one of those "make it in the spot from whatever is in the fridge" dishes. It was getting late and I wanted veggies with dinner, so here goes my concoction. Cal and I really enjoyed it, hope you will too!

Ingredients

Purple eggplant: cut in chunks 2 cups
Sweet pumpkin: cut in same size chunks 2 cups
Tomatoes: again - chunks 2 cups
Garlic: about 4 big cloves in slices
Onion: 2 med size in chunks
Bay leaf: 1 big leaf
Sugar: 2 tsp.
Salt: to taste
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Fresh coriander for garnish
Oil: 3 tbsp.

1) Cut the veggies and onions in bite size chunks. Garlic in slices.

2) Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add garlic and onions and sautée.

3) Add the pumpkin and eggplant and stir fry for a 1 min. Add salt to taste.

4) add bay leaf and sugar, mix well. Cover and simmer for 3-5 mins on low heat.

5) Add lime juice and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are tender. Mix one last time. Remove from heat and ready to serve. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy!!