Coconut Squash Curry

I've been living in my current apartment for about three and a half months now. For three and a half months I've been living just one block away from an Indonesian restaurant serving mostly vegan food. And I haven't tried it until just recently. Wow, is all I can say about that meal. I had the most amazing pumpkin curry, rich, creamy and with a wonderfully perfumed and spicy flavor. As soon as I'd taken the first bite, I said to myself "I have to try this at home". Now I have, and below is the documentation of my attempt. Coconut squash curry, scented with cardamom and fennel. If I may say so myself, it turned out pretty nicely! 

There are several ways you could make this recipe even more magical. The first of these is to add more spices. When it comes to curries I find that it is often the more the merrier with spices. Here are some suggestions (some you may want to take out before mixing!):

• 6 green cardamom pods
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 stalk of lemon grass (this one I believe strongly in!)
• Some curry leaves
• Some whole cloves

Secondly, you could add more vegetables to the curry. Either cook them in the sauce, in which case you add them with the chickpeas and simmer until done, or you can cook them on the side. This is what I did this time. I took the other half of my squash and roasted it with chili, cinnamon, vinegar, maple syrup and shredded coconut until crispy. You could also stir-fry some vegetables and put on top of the curry. Vegetables that would marry well with the curry sauce:

• Sugar snaps (add with chickpeas)
• Spinach (add with chickpeas)
• Potatoes (add with chickpeas or roast in the oven)
• Brussel sprouts (I just love these cute mini-cabbages so I had to put them on the list - roast in the oven)
• Peas

Thirdly, you can bring this dish to a new level by serving it with something equally exciting. I try to avoid rice as much as possible due to the large amount of water required to grow it. I therefore made myself some roasted quinoa spiced with cinnamon. I've included how to make this below the curry-recipe. Another amazing alternative would be cous cous or bulgur studded with dried fruits and nut. Or naan bread. Or both. Yum.

This curry recipe is sweet, colorful and fragrant, and also very easy! As I've already told you above, a good start for being creative and making some true kitchen magic. Try it out and let me know what you think!

For 2 hungry soon to be very happy people (or even happier if you're already in a good mood)

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cardamon

½ tsp chili flakes (you can substitute for whatever kind of chili you like)

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds (I used yellow)

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp coconut oil (preferably)

½ large onion

1-2 cloves of garlic, depending on size

½ small squash, such as acorn or butternut

1 bay leaf

2 dl water

2 dl coconut milk

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp lime juice

2 dl cooked chickpeas

Chop the onion and garlic. Cut the squash in about 1 cm-cubes, don't bother peeling, unless the skin is particularly tough. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add all the spices and let them roast gently in the oil until your kitchen smells wonderful. Add the onion, garlic, squash and bay leaf and sauté over quite low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion starts getting soft. You might have to add some extra oil at this point. Once this is done, add the water, coconut milk, salt and lime juice. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until the squash is done. This might take about 30 minutes, but depends on how big pieces you cut. 

When the squash is soft, take the pot of the heat and blend it with an immersion blender to a smooth creamy sauce. Add the chickpeas, put back on the stove and simmer for about five more minutes. 

Making roasted quinoa:

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a saucepan. Add a stick of cinnamon and six whole cloves together with 2,5 dl of quinoa. Roast over low heat until the quinoa starts to get golden and smell roasted. Add 5 dl of water, bring to a boil and simmer covered until the quinoa is done. When it's done, remove the lid to let the steam escape and the fluff it up with a fork.