Pumpkin Shrimp Curry

This recipe is adapted from one originally published on Epicurious.com. Because I feed a house full of hungry men, I normally double recipes and adapt them to whatever ingredients I have on hand. You could certainly substitute chicken or firm tofu for the shrimp in this dish.

1 butternut squash (approx. 3 lb)

4 T olive oil, divided

1 large, sweet onion, sliced thin

3 T minced ginger

3 T minced garlic

1 jalapeño or Fresno pepper, seeded, deribbed, and minced

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 29-oz can pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk + 1/2 (15 oz.) can coconut milk

1 rounded T curry powder

1 rounded T garam masala

1/4 t cayenne pepper

3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

juice of 2 limes

steamed basmati rice

cilantro, chopped

finishing salt, such as fleur de sel

PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME: Preheat the oven (or toaster oven, like I did!) to 400F. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush each half with 1/2T olive oil. Place the squash, cut sides down, on a foil-lined pan and roast for approximately 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove the cooked squash from the oven and let cool. Once the squash is cool enough to handle. remove the skin and remaining stem. Dice squash into 1/2″ cubes.

1. Heat 3T olive oil in a large Dutch oven (9-quart recommended) over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until soft, approx. 8 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook for one minute, then stir in plum tomatoes, jalapeño, and pumpkin purée. Cook this mixture for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin purée is golden brown.
3. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
4. Add butternut squash, shrimp, and lime juice. Simmer all until shrimp is cooked and squash is warm, approximately another 10 minutes.

To serve: place a scoop of steamed basmati rice in a bowl. Add 2 ladles of curry. Top with chopped cilantro and fleur de sel.

Yield: 10-12 servings (approx. 6-7 quarts of curry).