This big beauty was at the Sri Lankan National Botanical Gardens in Kandy. I couldn’t resist coming in for a snuggle!
Do I have a ginormous treat for you! I’ve been dying to recreate this recipe ever since I got home from Sri Lanka a few weeks ago. And if I do say so myself, this first time making it I hit it out of the park and it is pretty amazing :). ( And this is the first in a series of Sri Lankan recipes I’ll be sharing with you the next few weeks!)
I remember the best version of this dish I had on the trip. We were at a place called “Peanut Farm”, which is a surf spot in Arugambay you can only get to by passing through a long jungle trail (which by the way, happened to be the same spot that I was chased by a wild elephant later on that evening. In case you wondered what else happened on that super adventurous/crazy day!).
So when I say “pumpkin” what I really mean is Kabocha squash! It’s everywhere in Sri Lanka. Technically it’s squash I suppose, but everywhere in Sri Lanka they call it “pumpkin”, which is the same deal in Thailand, Korea and other Asian countries I’ve been to. (Maybe nobody likes to say “squash”?!)
There was a little café-like shack next to the surf break, run by a few enterprising Sri Lankan men (a great business idea to hit up the surfers off the beaten path, with the downside being having to haul all the ingredients by tuk tuk through the jungle!). We ordered the generic “rice and curry”, which means a variety of little veggie bowl concoctions and rice, but you never know specifically which veggie dishes you are going to get.
Well, this version of pumpkin curry came out, and it the most perfectly rich and decadent curry you can imagine: with luscious pumpkin that your fork easily sliced through and scooped up the creamy coconut milk sauce. It was unforgettable!
No worries, I took the time to recreate the recipe for you (and also of course so I could eat it again for myself)! And I will say “you are welcome!” in advance, because I know you will be thanking me later. :)
I am very happy to think of you enjoying this delicious and nutritious dish also!
I usually eat brown rice, but I wanted to go ultra traditional here, the way I ate it in Sri Lanka, and went with the decadently delicious (though less healthy) white rice.
Would it be weird if I just stuck my face in this bowl and slurped it all up? :)
This is my entire Sri Lankan feast I made the other night. Look out for other recipes in my Sri Lankan recipe series the next few weeks!
Sri Lankan Recipe Series: Pumpkin Curry Recipe
Kimberly Snyder
5 from 2 votes
Cuisine Sri Lankan
Ingredients
- 1 medium Kabocha squash referred to as pumpkin in many Asian countries!
- 1 Tbs. coconut oil
- ¼ cup white onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp yellow curry powder
- ½ tsp. fenugreek powder if this is too hard to find, just leave it out
- 1 cup of filtered water
- 1 cinnamon stick my secret ingredient, which adds a unique taste to this curry!
- 1 cup coconut milk
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and roast the pumpkin whole for about 30 minutes, until it softens. Cut about 2 cups in cubes, and put away the rest in an airtight container to eat for lunch the next day.
Heat the coconut oil over medium heat, and stir-fry the onions, garlic, curry powder, turmeric and fenugreek for a few minutes. Add the cubed pumpkin. Stir-fry for a couple more minutes. Add a cup of water, and the cinnamon stick. Now, cover, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes.
Finally, dissolve in the coconut milk and bring up the heat. Salt to taste. Serve fresh and hot with rice. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
Love,
Kimberly
10 Comments
juno7lghton October 9, 2015 at 9:11 pm
Yum-fabulous looking feast.
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Michelleon October 14, 2015 at 3:45 am
This recipe is delicious. I doubled the cumin & added chickpeas. Great fall recipe ? Thanks Kimberly
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Natalieon October 16, 2015 at 7:47 pm
I made this recipe tonight and it was incredibly delicious!!! It’s the first time I’ve ever had Kabocha squash.
I loved it. This is by far my favorite fall dinner. It was very easy to prepare. Thank you so much Kimberly for another wonderful recipe. :-)Reply
Heather Leggeon October 21, 2015 at 4:54 am
I had a butternut squash that needed to be used, and decided to make this with what was on hand. I didn’t have fenugreek or stick cinnamon. I added a bit of Vindaloo spice &.ground cinnamon, as well as a can of “light” coconut milk instead of water + the full/cream stuff – it was delicious!!! Next time I will try it as written, after a trip to Penzeys and Trader Joe’s. Thanks for continuing to share inspiring recipes Kimberly!!
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Julie Castronovaon October 22, 2015 at 10:42 pm
I made this for my meat eating friends and they said it was the best curry they’ve had in San Diego :) Kabocha squash is my new favorite since discovering it at the farmers market a few weeks ago. I was so excited to see recipes of yours including it- I’m going to have to try the stew next!
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Franon February 22, 2017 at 4:23 am
This has become one of my regulars this pumpkin season.
I haven’t been able to find the Kabocha squash, so I always use butternut. It’s really yummy!Reply
Franon February 22, 2017 at 4:25 am
My ratings never seem to come through. :(
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Bernadetteon April 22, 2019 at 7:55 am
So goodReply
Susan Lon September 27, 2020 at 11:33 am
Oh My Goodness! this is soooo good — thank you! This was the first time making curry and i absolutely love it. I love the flavor and also thought of it as a good base for creating other types of curry meals (it is so versatile!) In a smaller pot i cooked up some bella mushrooms and enoki to see how that worked out – it was good! As you said in the mention before, we will thank you for this, and for sure — THANK YOU.Reply
Kimberly Snyderon September 28, 2020 at 4:02 am
Awe Susan, this is amazing! Love to hear when my Beauties create their own take on my recipes. Thrilled you’re loving it! Lots of love! XO
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