Ingredients
2 lbs. pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp smoked paprika
4 cups chicken broth (can use water if you want to keep the recipe vegetarian)
1 cup coconut milk
10 oz. freshly grated coconut
3 tsp. cumin seeds
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
2 tsp. black mustard seeds
2 tsp. curry
3 small red chiles, split in half lengthwise (I used red fresno)
Preparation
To make Curry:
You don't have to make your own curry, but the store bought stuff loses its potency very quickly so make sure if you buy a mix that it is fresh.You can use all kinds of spices in this. I used cinnamon, cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, dried arbol chiles, turmeric, paprika, nutmeg, white peppercorns, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and chili powder. Grind in a mortar and pestle until fine.
To make shredded coconut:
Open the coconut by hitting it with the tang of your chef's knife. Drain out the coconut water and save for another use.
Cover the coconut with a towel and use a hammer to break it into smaller pieces. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, then use a knife to peel the husk off of the meat. Shred in a food processor.
For the pumpkin curry:
put the cubes of pumpkin in a saucepan and cover with the chicken broth or water and coconut milk. Add the turmeric and paprika. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork tender.
Grind coconut with the cumin seeds, then add it to the pumpkin along with the curry spice and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the coconut is tender.
Next, combine the chiles and mustard seeds in a saucepan with the oil and cook at medium high heat for 3-5 minutes.Add this to the pumpkin, season with salt, turmeric, and paprika to taste. Use an immersion blender to roughly puree the pumpkin (or just use a regular blender or food processor to puree in batches).
Top with steamed long grain rice and serve.
