Red Thai Butternut Curry

Ah, the weekend, and I find time to enter the kitchen and create. But before that, one must visit the local mega-mart, where I found a sale on prepared butternut squash. Of course, my first thought was soup, but I usually use whole squash and roast them for that. After that, perhaps a vegetable stew or even a curry.

I want to keep this simple, so the squash’s natural sweetness shines, but it will balance with a bit of heat by going heavier on the curry paste. (If I were cooking a higher spice tolerance different audience, I’d also include a couple of Thai peppers for that unique RougeChef twist.)

As this is not an overly pre-planned meal, I’ll use prepared squash, a good Thai Red Curry Paste, a can of coconut milk, and a splash or two of broth.

From Wikipedia:

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata), known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma, is a type of pumpkin or winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has tan-yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp with a compartment of seeds in the blossom end. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange and becomes sweeter and richer. It is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium; and it is a source of vitamin A.

Although botanically a fruit, butternut squash is used culinarily as a vegetable that can be roasted, sautéed, toasted, puréed for soups such as squash soup, or mashed to be used in casseroles, breads, muffins, and pies. It is part of the same squash family as ponca, waltham, pumpkin, and calabaza.

Thai Red Curry with Butternut Squash

Thai style butternut squash curry. Rich, creamy, spicy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Stew

Cuisine SouthEast Asia, Thai

Servings 4 Large Servings

Calories 351 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp Neutral Oil
• 1 ea Red Onion Large, peeled, chunked to 1/2"
• 3 cups Butternut Squash Get it peeled and chunked
• 1 tbsp Ginger, Grated
• 3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
• 15 oz Coconut Milk 1 can
• 1 cup Broth Veggie or chicken
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1 ea Bell Pepper Washed, Cored chunked to 1/2"
• 1 tbsp Garlic Minced

Instructions

 

• In a large wok or pan, heat oil over medium-high
• As oil spiders, Add onion and pepper, saute until the onion starts to take color
• Add the curry paste, and cook for 1-2 minutes, coating the veggies
• Add the garlic, ginger and cook until fragrant, ~ 60 sec
• Add the squash and stir to coat
• Add the coconut milk and broth, stir to mix well
• Bring to a boil, drop the heat to medium-low, cover
• Simmer until the squash is fork-tender, 15-20 minutes
• Taste, Season, and balance flavor.

Notes

This is written as a vegetarian dish, so I have excluded any fish sauce, this can be added at the last minute to balance flavors.

One can add minced Thai peppers with the onions and bell pepper for a spicy taste boost.

I’ve used prepared butternut squash here, it is simpler than peeling and chunking up a whole squash, and probably safer as well.

One COULD add protein in the form of chicken with the squash, or shrimp in the last 3-5 minutes of the simmer.

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 255mgPotassium: 614mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 13067IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 5mg

Keyword Butternut, Curry

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!