Vegan and Gluten-Free Thai Pumpkin Curry
OtherVegan1800 min
This vegetarian curry offers an array of bright colors—orange, yellow, and red—infused with citrus accents. You'll love the delicious taste of this curry, as well as its healthy combination of vegetables, including pumpkin or squash, yam or sweet potato, carrots, yellow bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Add chickpeas as a protein source, then finish the dish with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and nasturtium flowers for a gourmet dish that's as beautiful as it is delicious. It's a wonderful vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe, but equally tasty any time of the year.
Ingredients
- For the Pumpkin:
- 1/2 small pumpkin (or substitute 1 acorn squash, butternut, or any other orange squash except spaghetti)
- 1 small yam (or 1/2 large yam or sweet potato, peeled and cubed)
- 1 to 2 medium carrots (cut into thick slices)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 can chickpeas (drained)
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- For the Curry Sauce:
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 red chilies (or substitute fresh green chilies, or 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce)
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste (or substitute 1 tablespoon lime juice)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons lime juice (from 1/2 lime)
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoons rice vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoons coriander seeds (ground)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/3 purple onion (sliced)
- Garnish: a handful of fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Gather the ingredients.
- To make the curry sauce, place all sauce ingredients together in a food processor (or blender if you don't have a processor). Process well. Set aside.
- Prepare the pumpkin or squash by cutting it open and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Either save the seeds for roasting or discard. Cut the pumpkin into cubes, slicing off the skin. You will probably only use 1/3 to 1/2 a pumpkin for this recipe (save the rest in the refrigerator for cooking later).
- Prepare the rest of the vegetables, plus the orange rind.
- Place the pumpkin, yam, and carrots in the wok or frying pan together with the curry sauce over medium-high heat. Stir well.
- When the curry begins to boil, reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.
- Add the bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and orange rind, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add a little more soy sauce. If not spicy enough for your taste, add more fresh chili (or chili sauce). If too sour, add a little more sugar.
- To serve, scoop into a large serving bowl, or portion out on individual plates. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and pumpkin seeds, then top with several nasturtium flowers (if using). Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice.
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