saucy coconut pumpkin kale and chickpea curry___________________________Really, it's the squash bowls that I'm most excited for. Fragrant, simple, and nourishing, a weeknight dinner for (pumpkin) kings.
Ingredients
- 4 acorn squashes
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups kale, roughly torn
- chopped pecans, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with oil.
- To hollow out the acorn squashes: first, with a very sharp knife, cut off the top, about 1 inch below the stem. Reserve. Then, cut off as little of the bottom as possible, just enough to create a flat surface on which the squash can stand straight up. I took about 1/2 inch off. Stand the squash upright on the small bottom cut you just made, and hollow out a circle on top about 1/2 inch from the perimeter. Gently remove the circle to expose the middle. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and loose flesh, being VERY careful not to scrape too much from the walls and the bottom. If you leave too thin a layer of flesh on the bottom, the curry will seep out.
- Rub the insides of the squashes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cinnamon powder. Roast 20-25 minutes until just fork tender. Test the doneness of the squashes with the tines on the sides, not the bottom. Let cool while you prepare the curry.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Toast the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, paprika, coriander, and cinnamon for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and maple syrup until reasonably distributed, then pour in the coconut milk, broth or water, and pumpkin puree. Cover and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Remove the lid and stir in the kale and chickpeas until warm and the kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Ladle curry evenly into roasted acorn squash bowls. Top with chopped pecans.