Eggplant and Squash Curry
Vegetarians will delight in this vegetarian-friendly Indian curry of roasted squash and sautéed peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, eggplant and spices. I used a small kuri squash the last time I made this dish simply to say I was making Kuri Curry. Peeled diced butternut squash or small sugar pumpkins are delicious as well. –RR
Ingredients
- 3-4 plum tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes or 1 can stewed tomatoes (14 ounces)
- 1-1 1/4 pounds peeled kuri, pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 mild red frying peppers or 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
- 2 small onions or 1 large, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
- 1 small firm eggplant, diced into bite-size pieces (1-1 1/4 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons West Indian curry powder* (a couple of scant palmfuls)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (a palmful)
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (1/3 palmful)
- 1/2 cup mango chutney, plus some to pass at table
- 2 cups chicken stock
- Red rice, cooked according to package directions, or brown rice
- Zest and juice of 1 lime or Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
*Cook's Note: West Indian curry powder is common in grocery stores. It is comprised primarily of cumin, coriander and turmeric and is bright yellow-orange in color.
Preparation
For fresh tomatoes: Score the skins with a sharp knife in an X on the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to an ice water bath to cool. Peel, halve and slice the tomatoes, and reserve.
Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
Toss the squash with a drizzle of EVOO and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Arrange the squash on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and brown at the edges.
Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid. Add the peppers, onions, garlic and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Sweat out the vegetables for a few minutes, then add the eggplant, curry, chili powder and cardamom. Stir to toast and combine, then cover the pot and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender. Stir in the roast squash, tomatoes, chutney and stock.
Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
If serving immediately, start the rice a few minutes after the squash goes into the oven. Otherwise, reheat the curry over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes after you start cooking the rice. To prepare the rice, follow the package directions, adding the lime zest or leaves to the water before the rice. Add the scallions to the rice and the lime juice when the rice is done and you fluff with a fork.
Serve the curry on bed of lime and green onion rice with extra chutney for mixing in.
