To be honest, this is more a pumpkin and peanut butter curry. I know pumpkin is not a root vegetable but it inhabits the same knobbly territory in terms of perception. You will not believe how exotic something this easy (and ‘cupboardy’) can taste.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or Thai fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- Small handful fresh coriander, with roots (if possible)
- 2 red chillies, halved and deseeded
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1cm piece fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
- 800g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and roughly diced
- 400ml can coconut milk
Method
- 1. Stir the peanut butter into a jug containing 200ml hot water, until it dissolves. Stir in the purée, lime zest and juice, soy or fish sauce and sugar. Ignore how ropey this looks! Set aside.
- 2. Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside. Chop the stalks and roots as finely as you can, along with the chilli, garlic and ginger.
- 3. Heat the oil in a wok or good-sized pan and fry the onions quite briskly for a few minutes, so that they catch slightly. As soon as this starts to happen, add the pumpkin and stir-fry for a few minutes. Stir in the chilli mixture for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk. Stir, then add the peanut butter mix. Cook at a brisk simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the pumpkin is tender. Season to taste or add more soy or fish sauce, as you like. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with cooked rice.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 333kcals, 27g fat (16.8g saturated), 7.4g protein, 16.3g carbs, 8.5g sugar, 0.8g salt
Wine Recommendation
The exotic flavours call for an Aussie white Semillon-Chardonnay or a red Pinot Noir.