I tried kabocha squash for the first time this year… I’ve been missing out. This Japanese squash tastes like a cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato. It is so delicious roasted and blended to serve as a soup, pasta sauce, or in this case curry.
I was thinking of ways to use up some homegrown red Super Khi Thai chiles and had kabocha on the mind. The sweetness from the kabocha mellows some of the intense heat from these chiles.
There’s nothing wrong with store-bought curry paste, but the flavor you can develop from crafting your own is unmatched. For a red curry, you’ll want to use a mix of red spicy peppers and red sweet peppers. I used red jalapeños, red Super Khi chiles, and red Gypsy peppers straight from the garden. I also threw in some garden tomatoes that were on their last leg and some shallots that I grew (from seed!). Most importantly, I roasted the garlic to give the curry a nice rich garlic flavor.
Blend the curry paste, cook, add in the kabocha purée and some broth, simmer, and dinner is done. Yes, there are quite a few ingredients. It is well worth the time and effort.
Kabocha Squash Curry
Course: DinnerCuisine: ThaiDifficulty: Easy10
servings20
minutes1
hour30
minutes458
kcal19.1
g33.7
g38.3
gThe perfect, healthy and cozy meal for any cold fall night.
Ingredients
- Red Curry Paste
5 red jalapeño or fresno peppers, seeded and chopped*
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
10 red Thai chiles, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
3 bulbs garlic
3 stalks lemongrass, chopped*
1 3-inch piece turmeric, peeled and chopped
1 4-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, stems and leaves
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
- Curry
1 medium kabocha squash, seeded and quartered*
2 medium sweet potatoes, halved
5 tbsp coconut oil, separated
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix
cut into bite-sized pieces1 recipe red curry paste or 2-3 tbsp storebought curry paste
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florettes
8 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 15 oz. can full fat coconut milk
1 quart chicken stock
2 red bell peppers, chopped
10 oz. baby spinach
juice of 1 lime
- To Serve
3 cups rice
lime wedges
chopped cilantro
chopped scallions
chopped pistachios or cashews
Directions
- Red Curry Paste
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove the first inch or so from the top (pointy end) of each bulb of garlic, exposing the cloves but leaving the bulb intact.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp coconut oil over garlic bulbs and wrap in foil. Roast for 1 hour.
- Add jalapeños/fresnos, Thai chiles, shallots, lemongrass, cooled roasted garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, ginger, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and water to a large, high-powered blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Curry
- Keep your oven set to 375ºF (or roast garlic simultaneously). Place kabocha squash slices and sweet potatoes (flesh-side down) on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp coconut oil over the squash and sweet potatoes, and roast for 45 minutes.
- In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium heat.
- Add chicken and cook until edges are browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove chicken from the pan, discarding any leftover fat or liquid, and add 1 tbsp coconut oil.
- Fry the curry paste over medium heat, stirring frequently until much of the moisture evaporates, about 7 minutes.
- While the curry is cooking, remove and discard the skins of the roasted sweet potatoes and kabocha squash.
- Add squash, potatoes, and coconut milk to a blender, blending until smooth.
- Add onions, cauliflower florettes, mushrooms, and carrots to the pot. Cook with the curry paste for about 5 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and squash mixture and chicken squash, and simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Add red bell peppers and spinach to the curry, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add the juice of 1 lime, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serving
- Cook rice according to instructions. ALWAYS rinse your rice before cooking.
- Scoop some of the rice in a serving bowl and ladle the curry right on top.
- Sprinkle on tons of fresh cilantro, green onions, and chopped pistachios and squeeze on some more lime.
Notes
- Feel free to leave in or take out seeds and ribs depending on your heat tolerance. I usually remove seeds and ribs for about half of the peppers.
- You must remove some of the outer, more reedy layers of the lemongrass. I only use the bottom 4-5 inches. See this video for how to use lemongrass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXuHP__6StA&themeRefresh=1
- You could use any winter squash. I’m excited to try with my homegrown Gouda squash and homegrown butternut squash.
