Cashew, Coconut, and Pumpkin Curry

This recipe is for my friend, I made it for her a week or two ago and she loved it. I also went home with ALL of the leftovers and didn’t leave her any...she mentioned that she was pretty disappointed.

I frequent my friend house at least once or twice a week. It is my place to escape, I can sit on the couch and we can not talk, we can talk each others ear off, she can be in one room and me in another, she could not even be there ;)...she makes me feel like I am just another member of the family, which I quite like :) It is for sure my second home...wait or is it my first home, because I really don't have "my own home?" right now...oh whatever who cares about the technicalities...you get the point, her family always makes me feel so welcome.

I love to take whatever I have been cooking up in my kitchen to her house. I have been doing this for sometime now, not because I think she's not a good cook (she's a great cook) or that they wont feed me and I will starve to death (they always feed me or find ways to quench my thirst :)). I do it because it makes her happy and me happy, I do it because she works really hard long hours and I want to relieve her of having to come home and make dinner, I feel it is the one thing I can give back for her for all her hospitality and she and her husband make great critiques for my cooking. They are always honest whether it is a thumbs up or thumbs down or maybe just a tweak of something. The honesty is greatly appreciated as of course it only help make me a better cook.

So for you my friend here it is Salute! 

And as you know like always I messed with it and made it my own but I didn't write down what I did, so to the best of my memory (which you know is not that great :) here are the changes I made...

1. I used  2 small acorn squash and about a 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree. ( I didn't feel my squash was all the way ripened nor did I feel I had enough  to account for the 1 1/2 qts  the recipe was asking for.

2. I added I think 3 chicken breasts that I had pre cooked and cubed, because seriously who has a meal without protein ;)

3. I didn't use vegetable oil, I used coconut oil kind of a now brainer because it's good for you and goes well with the flavors of the dish

4. For the serrano's I used the ones that I had dried earlier and ground up...probably 4 of them (it was spicy, just the way we like it )

5. I used bay leaves but I would have perfered using the curry leaves

6. I did not have turmeric, which was a crying shame cause it's good stuff so get yourself some :)

7. I used light coconut milk

8. I did not add the cashews I left those for a topper

9. add chopped cilantro on top as well.

10. and obviously we didn't eat it with rice...because you don't like rice :)

For those of you watching your girlish figures this recipe has 546 calories, 48 grams of fat, and 29 carbohydrates. I don't count calories but I do believe that the little tweaks I have made here and there can help to cut down on all the calories, fat and carbs...ex; light coconut milk, no rice or if you must switch to a brown basmati, add just a couple tablespoons of cashews (unsalted) to your serving.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 qts. peeled, 1 1/2-in. chunks pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash (from a 3-lb. squash)
• About 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 onion, halved and cut into half-moons
• 1 or 2 red or green serrano chiles, minced
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 1/2 in. long)
• 20 fresh curry leaves* or 6 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 cup salted roasted cashews
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Steamed basmati rice

Preparation

• 1. Sprinkle pumpkin with 1/2 tsp. salt. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown half the pumpkin in oil, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes; reduce heat if pumpkin starts getting dark. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with 1 tbsp. oil and remaining pumpkin.
• 2. Heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil meanwhile in another large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half to the nonstick frying pan and reserve other half in a bowl.
• 3. Add chiles, cinnamon, and curry leaves to onion in pan. Cook, stirring often, until curry leaves are very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add turmeric, cumin, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
• 4. Return pumpkin to nonstick frying pan (with onion) and add coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until pumpkin is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cashews and lemon juice, and add more salt to taste. Top curry with reserved onion and serve with rice.
• *Find in Indian markets.

Sunset
OCTOBER 2011