Indian

Pumpkin curry

Name: Pumpkin curry
Yield: 6
Cuisine: /indian
Ingredients: 500g Japanese or Kent pumpkin, washed; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2.00 fresh curry leaf sprig, leaves picked; 2 small Indian green chillies or 1 long green chilli, chopped; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tbs curry powder, roasted; ½ cinnamon quill; 1 litre (4 cups) coconut milk; Shop-bought coconut chutney, to serve; ¼ cup (50g) long-grain white rice; 50g freshly grated or desiccated coconut; ½ tsp green cardamom pods; 1 tbs brown mustard seeds; 2cm knob of fresh ginger, peeled; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 2½ tbs coconut cream

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by Peter Kuruvita

Sep 19, 2018

“The coconut rice powder can be used to thicken and enrich the flavour of any curry” - Peter Kuruvita. This is an edited extract from Lands of the Curry Leaf by Peter Kuruvita and photography by Alan Benson (Murdoch Books, $49.99).

500g Japanese or Kent pumpkin, washed
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 fresh curry leaf sprig, leaves picked
2 small Indian green chillies or 1 long green chilli, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbs curry powder, roasted
½ cinnamon quill
1 litre (4 cups) coconut milk
Shop-bought coconut chutney, to serve

Coconut rice powder

¼ cup (50g) long-grain white rice
50g freshly grated or desiccated coconut
1 fresh curry leaf sprig, leaves picked
½ tsp green cardamom pods

Mustard paste

1 tbs brown mustard seeds
2cm knob of fresh ginger, peeled
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2½ tbs coconut cream

Method

1.

For rice powder, dry-roast all the ingredients in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring, until rice and coconut darken. Remove from heat, cool, then grind to a powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
2.

Pulse all mustard paste ingredients and ½ cup water in a blender until smooth.
3.

With skin on, cut pumpkin into 2cm cubes, discarding seeds. Place in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add onion, curry leaves, chilli, spices, coconut milk and 2 tbs of coconut rice powder (store remaining in an airtight container in a cool dark place for next time), bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender. Stirring constantly, add mustard paste and bring to just below the boil.
4.

Remove from the heat, season and serve with coconut chutney.