Here's the perfect recipe to get you warmed up for the winter: my gingery Curried Acorn Squash.
I love going into the market these days and meeting up with all shapes and sizes of winter squashes. There are the warty ones and the bumpy ones and the lopsided ones and the teeny ones, all begging you to take them home for Halloween. Then there are the edible squashes: the pumpkins, the acorns, the butternuts and the kabochas, each unique, each delicious.
The other day, a handsome acorn squash came home with me. I wanted to try something really special, so I chopped him up and put him into a curry with some belly-warming ginger, some creamy coconut, and some sweet tomatoes. But first, I roasted him.
Okay, pay attention, I am still talking about a vegetable. So you might ask, Vaishali, why do I have to roast the squash when I can just add it to the pan and it'll cook up easily anyway. Well, here's the reason for that:
When you roast a squash, the flavor really intensifies and the squash gets all caramelly and even more delicious, if that's possible. And when you add this goodness to the creamy coconut sauce, it takes on a life of its own, resulting in a dish you will want to eat happily ever after.
It's not going to last that long, though. In fact, I am willing to bet it will be all gone in minutes. In my home, it did.
Here's the recipe.
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Curried Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash (peeled and deseeded. Cut the flesh into ¾-inch cubes)
- 1 cup coconut milk (or ½ cup grated coconut)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 dry red chillies
- 2 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Toss the acorn squash cubes with some salt and pepper. Spray them with oil, toss to coat, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 30-40 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set aside.
- Add the coconut milk, cumin seeds, red chillies and ginger to a blender. Blend into a smooth paste. If using grated coconut, add some water to make the paste.
- Heat the coconut oil, add the onions, and saute until the edges start to just brown.
- Add the turmeric, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir to coat the onion with the spices.
- Add the coconut paste and cook, stirring frequently, until a lot of the moisture has evaporated. You need to do this to ensure all of the spices are cooked.
- Add the acorn squash cubes and the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Add some water if the curry is too dry.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar and mix well. Add the chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or rotis.
Rachel
Hi! Could I use canned tomatoes if I don't have fresh ones or do you think this would this mess up the flavor too much? Thanks!
Adam Brooks
Amazing!!
Anonymous
Delicious! Thanks for providing a curry with acorn squash. I knew that this hearty veg could be used for more than a side dish, and this is a slam dunk!
Kim
Thanks for the recipe! I'm thinking about making this as a Thanksgiving side. Does it heat up well if made the day before?
Vaishali Honawar
Yes, it's even better the next day!
Kim
Perfect! Thank you 🙂
Leslie Grabowski
I just made this and we both loved it! It seems to me that the basic sauce (with the tomatoes) would work with tofu as well as squash. Do you think so?
Vaishali Honawar
Leslie, that's a great idea. I think tofu would be great with this sauce!
abbeygirl0512
Coconut milk from a can or from the carton
Vaishali Honawar
From the can.
Mandy Wolovich
I just made this tonight. I only had half a butternut squash so I added some collard greens and was SO GOOD! This is my new way to eat squashes and greens this fall and winter. And it's so easy! Thank you!
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Mandy, so happy you tried it. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Jennifer
Looks and sounds amazing! Wonderful photo, too! Always nice while finding another vegan blog while blog hoppin'! Thanks so much!
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Jennifer, welcome to the blog, and thanks for your kind words!
Chessie
You sure make things sound good. If it weren't almost 10 p.m., I'd be trying to fix this. I just got a whole bunch of sweet potatoes--it will be interesting to see (tomorrow) how they work in this recipe. I'm all hot to run out and catch myself a handsome acorn squash, though!
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Catherine. I think sweet potatoes will work handsomely in this recipe :). Hope you try!
narf77
This looks really delicious. I love the flavour and texture of roasted pumpkins (we Aussies call all winter squashes pumpkins) and by roasting them, they dry out a little more and tend to hold together better in a sauce. I love the sound of gingery coconut curry and it would go amazingly well with the sweet flavour of the pumpkin. I think that I might make this for my dinner tonight. Thank you for the great idea and recipe 🙂
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Narf77, hope you will try it! 🙂 You are right about the pumpkins drying out when roasted and holding together better-- thanks for that insight.
geetha
Lovely recipe! Can we do the same with any other type of squash?Thank you.
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Geetha, you can try this with any squash, including butternut or pumpkin. Cheers!
Carson
Curry me crazy... Lola