This Thai pumpkin red curry recipe from Chang Thai Café is bursting with flavor.
By Yankee Magazine
Feb 22 2024
Chang Thai Café Thai Pumpkin Red Curry
Photo Credit : Photo by Corey Hendrickson | Styling by Liz Neily | Campfire Pottery, Portland, MaineThis easy, flavor-packed curry dish comes from Chang Thai Café in Littleton, New Hampshire.
If you don’t have access to a market with a decent selection of Thai ingredients, you may need to go online to source three key ingredients: red curry paste, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves (feel free to use dried lime leaves instead of fresh). The recipe also calls for Thai basil, but you can substitute the more common sweet Italian basil. And vegans can make the dish without chicken—just add tofu or an extra pound of squash.
We recommend using Thai fish sauce, such as Squid brand. For red curry paste, use Maesri brand. For coconut milk, you’ll get the creamiest results if you use the full-fat version, but you can certainly use the reduced-fat type.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
½ medium peeled and seeded kabocha squash, sugar pumpkin, or butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
1 sliced serrano, jalapeno, or other chili pepper (optional)
½ cup chopped Thai basil or sweet Italian basil
Warm the oil in a 4- or 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the red curry paste, stir, and let it cook for a minute, then whisk in the coconut milk.
Add the squash, chicken, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, brown sugar, and salt and cook until the squash is tender and chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve the curry over cooked rice and sprinkle with chili (if using) and basil. Serve hot.