Mild butternut squash curry with coconut milk

Mild butternut squash curry with coconut milk

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma and "Batana"in 
Sri Lanka. It has yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp. It available in the market all the year round.

Butternut squash has many vital poly-phenolic anti-oxidants and vitamins. It has more vitamin A than that of in pumpkin..It is cooked like pumpkin. Today I am going to make a curry using it.

                                 

Butternut pumpkin

                                   Recipe summary 
                                             For
              Mild butternut squash curry with coconut milk                             
 preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time:15 minutes

serves: 4         

1.Wash 250 grams butternut pumpkin,  peel and remove the seeds. Cut the vegetable into ¼ inch or ½ inch cubes and set aside.

Butternut pumpkin

2. Add all the ingredients; 1 large onion, chopped,
30 grams green chili sliced, 3 cloves garlic sliced,
10 curry leaves, sliced  except  mustard seeds, dry chili and coconut milk in a medium pan.

3. Bring to boil and lower the fire and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

4.Add ½ cup coconut milk and ¼ tsp pepper powder. Let it cook for 5 minutes. 

Mild butternut squash 
curry with coconut milk

Curry is done.

Another method

1. In a medium sized frying pan or sauce pan add 2 table spoon  oil and heat it. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add ¼ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp cumin seeds and 1 dry red chili, whole.
Fry for 2 minutes. Do not slice or break the dry red chili as we want only the aroma from it and not its heat. It is alright if the red chili is blackened.

2. Then add 3 cloves garlic sliced, 1 large onion, chopped, 30 grams green chili, sliced and 10 curry leaves, sliced and fry for 10 minutes or until the onion slices become translucent.

Ingredients

3. Add 1 cup water and 250 grams  butter nut squash and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes or until the butternut squash become soft. Remove the cover and add ½ cup coconut milk, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.

By this time all the water would have evaporated. The curry will be almost dry. This is what we want.

 Mild butternut pumpkin curry with coconut is ready.
                                  

                            

                    Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time:15 minutes

serves: 4

Ingredients
Main
250 grams butternut pumpkin
Others
1 large onion, chopped
30 grams green chili, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
10 curry leaves, sliced

½ cup coconut milk

Spices
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chili, whole
1 tsp salt 
1 cup water

2 table spoon oil

Ingredients for Mild butternut squash curry with coconut milk

Preparation.
Wash, peel and remove the seeds. Although the skin and seeds are edible, they are not usually cooked. The hard skin becomes soft when roasted. Cut the vegetable into ¼ inch or ½ inch cubes and set aside.

Method 
This is a very easy and healthy cooking method. Add all the ingredients except  mustard seeds, dry chili and coconut milk in a medium pan. Bring to boil and lower the fire and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

All ingredients in  a pot

Pumpkin cooks fast and add coconut milk and pepper powder. Let it cook for 5 minutes. 

Adding coconut milk and pepper

The curry is ready.

Final stage

Mild butternut squash curry with coconut milk

I would like to give a second method if you want the curry a little spicy
In a medium sized frying pan or sauce pan add the oil and heat it. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chili.
Fry for 2 minutes. Do not slice or break the dry red chili as we want only the aroma from it and not its heat. It is alright if the red chili is blackened.
Then add garlic, onion green chili and curry leaves and fry for 10 minutes or until the onion slices become translucent.
Add water and butter nut squash and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes or until the butternut squash become soft. Remove the cover and add the coconut milk, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
By this time all the water would have evaporated. The curry will be almost dry. This is what we want.

The curry is ready and it can be served with rice or bread.