Thai Kabocha Squash Curry

Ah, curry. I could probably write sonnets about curry and how much I love it. You might love curry, too—but you don’t love it the way I do. (Or maybe you do. Let’s be friends and share a curry!). Thai curry paste is a staple cooking item at my house. We have an entire shelf in the fridge dedicated to curry pastes, pickles and other spicy condiments to accompany curry. I eat it several times a week, sometimes daily when possible.

Curry is tasty especially when it’s loaded up with fresh seasonal veggies. This one features kabocha, an Asian variety of winter squash, along with cauliflower, kale and tofu. Friends, you need more curry in your life and this is one you definitely want to add to your menu this week.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 4-6 tablespoons vegetarian yellow curry paste I use Mae Ploy brand; start with less and add more as needed
• 28 ounces light coconut milk 2 14-ounce cans
• 1 to 2 teaspoons coconut or palm sugar optional
• 2 cups peeled and diced kabocha squash*
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained and pressed, and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 4 cups chopped kale
• Salt to taste

For serving:

• 3-4 cups hot cooked rice or quinoa
• Thai basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Add the coconut oil to a large sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Heat until melted and hot, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn’t burn. Add the coconut milk and the sugar, if using, and stir until smooth.
• Add the kabocha squash and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the kabocha is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and tofu. Cover again and cook, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is fork tender, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the kale, being careful not to break up the tofu. Simmer uncovered until kale has wilted, about 3 minutes, then season with salt to taste.
• Serve over rice or quinoa and garnish with Thai basil leaves, if desired.

Nutrition