Cast Iron

Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Herby Pork Meatballs

by:
April  1, 2014
5
1 Ratings
Pumpkin Coconut Curry with Herby Pork Meatballs
Photo by Andrew Braunstein
  • Serves 2-3
Author Notes

Conceived to use up leftovers, this recipe has now become part of my regular weeknight rotation. It's a stew meets curry meets soup (and they all walk into a bar...), and a cross-pollination of different cultures -- think Moroccan and Thai (?). Either way, it's spicy, and hearty, and bright all at once. Best of all, it's totally versatile -- a blank slate on which you can etch out your own creative culinary endeavors. Have some leftover tofu? Throw it in. Eggplant? Cauliflower? Potato? It all works wonders here. Although the ingredient list looks long, it is likely that you will have most of the essential building blocks on hand. —thebunalsorises

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Herby Meatballs
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • juice from a wedge of lime
  • Pumpkin Curry
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 pinch cayenne
  • 1/2 can pumpkin puree
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • florets from a small head of broccoli
  • handful of cilantro, chopped for garnish
  • handful of cashews, toasted for garnish
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Mix meatball ingredients in a bowl until well-combined. Form into ping pong ball-sized spheres. Should yield about eight. Fry in a few tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably in a cast-iron skillet, until browned, but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
  2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat a generous glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, and ginger, and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato and all the spices. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about two minutes.
  4. Add pumpkin puree and let some water evaporate to condense the flavor, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the coconut milk, stock, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook until broccoli is tender and flavors are melded, about 30 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  6. Plop in meatballs and continue to cook until pork is cooked through, another 10 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with cilantro and cashews.
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