Curries are a very essential part of the Indian cuisine. Having said that, there are so many different versions and types of curries all over South East Asia and many influenced by one another. When I moved to America the Indian grocery stores were quite far from where we lived and with that my challenge was how to incorporate some of the local produce into Indian flavors and spices. One year with a random experiment  around Thanksgiving culminating with a beautiful aromatic curry I  figured out that pumpkin pie spice mix was not just for desserts but could be incorporated into savory dishes too. The natural sweetness from the vegetable compliments the spices in the dish and gives it great flavor and texture. So without further ado,  here it is – Butternut squash curry (with a twist!). Enjoy !

 

Ingredients

1 Medium size butternut squash cut in to 1 inch cubes

1 cup green beans chopped in to 2 inch pieces and blanched

1 large red onion finely chopped

3 to 4 tablespoons of any neutral cooking oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 to 5 cloves of garlic

2 table spoons of Madras Curry powder

1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice powder

1 can of organic coconut milk

1/2 tsp chilly powder (optional)

4 peppercorns

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 cup water

salt to taste

1- Heat a Dutch oven on a medium flame  and add oil. Once the oil is warm add the cumin seeds and peppercorns. As these spices start to crackle, add the finely chopped onions and sauté them until golden brown. Do this step carefully as you don’t want the onions to burn or rather darken too much as that gives a bitter burnt flavor to the curry  and changes the final result.

2- Add crushed garlic, chilly powder, curry powder, turmeric and butternut squash. Sauté on medium flame for a few seconds .

3- Add 1/2 cup of water  close the lid and simmer for 3 minutes .

4- Add 1 can of coconut milk, pumpkin pie spice powder and salt to taste ,close the lid and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until the butternut squash is tender but not mushy .

5- Add the blanched green beans and simmer for another 4 minutes with the lid off ,give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste .

6- Serve with Hot rice or bread .

Note – This recipe may be tried with different vegetable combination with successful results .

Any brand of curry powder may be used

The consistency of the gravy is a personal preference .

Adjust spice levels and salt to your taste .