Author Notes
After all the pumpkin desserts at Thanksgiving, this is a fabulous savory use for that leftover can of pumpkin puree. Adapted liberally from Bon Appetit, this is a curry based on tomatoes rather than coconut milk, so it's light and brothy and almost refreshing. I usually make a batch, refrigerate it, and cook the shallots to order when I want to eat; but you can easily make this a one-pot meal by frying the shallots in the oil the curry gets cooked in. You will definitely want to serve this with rice, to sop up the sweet-and-tangy sauce. —ieatthepeach
Ingredients
- For the curry:
-
2 tablespoons
peanut oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil
-
1
small white or yellow onion, diced
-
1 tablespoon
minced or finely grated fresh ginger
-
2
garlic cloves, minced
-
1 tablespoon
curry powder, or to taste
-
1/2 teaspoon
crushed red chile flakes, or to taste
-
1
(15 oz) can pumpkin puree (about 1 3/4 cups)
-
1 teaspoon
tomato paste
-
1
(15 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
-
1
bay leaf
-
1
3-inch cinnamon stick
-
2 cups
chicken stock or vegetable broth
-
1 1/2 pounds
cauliflower (about 1 smallish head), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
-
1 pound
cubed chicken breast, cubed tofu, or peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
-
Salt to taste
- To finish the curry:
-
2
medium shallots
-
1 tablespoon
peanut oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil
-
Freshly squeezed lime juice to taste
-
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions
-
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until the onion turns golden around the edges. Add garlic, curry powder, and chili flake, and saute for another 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fragrant. Add pumpkin puree and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes, or until the pumpkin is golden brown and nutty-smelling.
-
Add tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and stock or broth, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add cauliflower and continue simmering for another 8-10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is just starting to get tender. Add chicken, tofu, or shrimp, and continue simmering for another 5-8 minutes, or until the protein is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
-
Once the curry is cooked, you can let it cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months–the longer it sits, the better it gets.
-
When you’re ready to serve the curry, thinly slice the shallots and separate the slices into rings. Heat oil in a small frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the shallot rings, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the shallots are deeply browned and crispy. Remove the shallots from the pan with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain while you heat up the curry. Once the curry is warm, stir in lime juice. Spoon the curry over rice, and top with chopped cilantro and the fried shallots.
See what other Food52ers are saying.