Coconut Curried Pumpkin with Cinnamon Rice {vegan}
by Aimee
My local farm stand closed for the season on Monday, leaving nothing behind save for a few wisps of straw and dried corn husks.
Driving by that day, I saw them tossing pumpkins with abandon into the back of a wagon. The season was over and it seemed the sooner they could rid themselves of the squash the better. I pulled off the road, grabbed my change purse and went to inquire.
The farmer let me take as many as I wanted for fifty cents each and I drove away with big plans to roast them all for purée. I also made off with several cabbages, romanesco, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts on the stalk. All for under 10 dollars. It was a good start to the week.
I couldn’t shake the thought of a good hearty curry though; so while Clara napped, I hacked a pumpkin in half, trimmed off the peel and cut it into cubes. Less than thirty minutes later, I was spooning a fragrant coconut curry over rice and sitting down to a simple, yet satisfying lunch.
I’ve now had the same lunch three days in a row and am convince the flavors improve with subsequent days. I think I’ll have to make another batch soon to test that theory.
Having a well-stocked pantry helps so much when assembling spontaneous dishes such as this. I selected coconut milk, cinnamon, curry powder, onions, rice and broth to pair with my pumpkin and the rest is history.
This is a great example of how I cook during the week, especially in winter. I use what pantry staples I have, produce I find on sale and items from my freezer like stock or crushed tomatoes. A certain slow-cooker Chickpea Stew with Apricots & Turnip comes to mind as I write.
Of course a good bowl of curry isn’t much fun without the garnishes! The selection I had on hand worked out well: tart pomegranate arils, crispy roasted pumpkin seeds and a handful of cilantro.
One last thing, choose the best curry powder you can find (or make your own, it’s not hard). I use a beautiful blend from local Montreal spice wizards, Epice de Cru, called Imperial Kashmiri Curry. It’s a rather intoxicating blend of traditional curry spices, best-quality saffron and two varieties of cardamom. You can find it on their online store, SpiceTrekkers.com.
A traditional curry such as a Madras would work fine, too.
| Coconut Curried Pumpkin | Print |
- 1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 teaspoons fresh curry powder
- 5 cups cubed pumpkin (about half a sugar pumpkin)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
- 160 mL can coconut milk
- In a medium pot or skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add cumin seed and toast for 30 seconds.
- Carefully add onions to the hot oil and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic to the pan and sprinkle the curry powder over everything. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the pumpkin and the salt. Pour over the stock. Stir to combine, then cover with a lid.
- Cook gently for 15 minutes until pumpkin is tender, yet still holds its shape. The pumpkin will go from brightly coloured to dull.
- Move some of the pumpkin to the side and whisk in the coconut milk. Reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve over rice or with naan.
I seldom deviate from our beloved Baked Brown Rice Pilaf, but I was way too hungry on this particular instance to wait for brown rice. Instead, I reached for a long-grain white basmati, which is almost as flavourful as brown rice, especially when simmered with cinnamon.
| Cinnamon Rice | Print |
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup long-grain Basmati rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot warm oil and cinnamon over medium high heat.
- Pour in the rice and stir slowly while you count to twenty. This will coat the rice with the spiced oil and help it to stay fluffy rather than sticky.
- Sprinkle in the salt. Pour in the water.
- Bring the rice to a boil, then cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the burner and let the rice stand for 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Serve hot.
Do you eat many savoury pumpkin dishes?
Coconut Curried Pumpkin with Cinnamon Rice {vegan}is a post from Simple Bites
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