This curry is fragrant, warming and very satisfying. Based on a home-cooked pumpkin curry I ate at a little roadside cafe on the way out of Ella in the central highlands. The secret? Using ground roasted rice to both thicken and add a delicious toasty flavour to the curry.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the roasted rice powder
1.5 tbsp uncooked basmati rice
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
6 fresh curry leaves (or 10 dried)
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
For the curry
1kg pumpkin or squash*, sliced into 2.5cm widths
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil
10 curry leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (Sri lankan if possible)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp sea salt
1.5 cups coconut milk
Method
1. Firstly make the roasted rice powder by placing a frying pan over a high heat. Add the uncooked basmati rice and the curry leaves. Toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly until fragrant. Add the cumin and cinnamon and toast for 1 minute before adding the desiccated coconut. Cook until the rice and coconut turn golden brown and set aside to cool. Once cool grind to a fine powder in a spice mill or pestle and mortar.
2. Chop the pumpkin, onion and garlic and set aside. I leave the skin on the pumpkin but you can remove it if you prefer.
3. In a large pan (which you have a lid for) add the coconut oil and fry the mustard seeds for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin, onions, garlic and all the spices. Fry for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
4. Once the pumpkin and spices have a little colour on them, add the coconut milk and stir well to incorporate everything. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until the pumpkin is tender when tested with a fork.
5. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the roasted rice powder to the pan and watch the sauce thicken. You can also add a little more if you want a thicker sauce. Season with extra salt if needed and serve with steamed rice.
*if in season, starchy squashes such as crown prince, onion squash or delica work very well.