Pumpkin Curry with Beancurd/Tofu

A coworker in my office told me about a pumpkin curry that he had at a nearby Thai restaurant. This reminds me that I don't have any posting for a vegetarian dish. Hence this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Kabocha pumpkin, pre-cooked and cut into bite-sized chunks

1 can coconut cream, mixed with 3/4 cups vegetable stock

1 Tbsp. red or yellow curry paste (Mae Ploy brand, from Asian grocery stores)

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp. tumeric powder

1 tsp. galangal powder

1 tsp. honey or sugar (optional)

1/2 cup carrots, cubed

1/4 cup fresh peas or edamane (optional)

1/4 cup firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 kaffir leaves

1 small fresh chilli for garnishing

2  Tbsp. oil

salt and pepper to taste




Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F and roast pumpkin till slightly golden for about 20 minutes. Remove skin when cool and cut in cubes. The flesh will be slightly crunchy. Set aside.

2. Mix the curry paste and spices with a little together in a bowl. Heat oil in a skillet, fry spices with the kaffir leaves till fragrant. Add half of the coconut milk and mix it well with the curry spices, then the carrots and peas if used.

3. Simmer on low heat to cook the carrots, then add pumpkin, tofu and the rest of the coconut milk and stock. If you like more sauce in your curry, add a little more stock or water as the pumpkin tends to thicken the curry if you let is simmer too long. I like a little bite in the pumpkin. Serve hot with rice or naan bread.