saucy coconut pumpkin kale and chickpea curry

In edible acorn squash bowls because eating the curry just isn’t enough, you know? We’ve got to be extra sassy around here; after all, what’s Foul Mouth Gourmet without the gourmet?

And the foul mouth. Shit to the yeah.

I don’t know why, but stuffing food within food is far more satisfying than it should be. Perhaps because dishes are theoretically minimized. Probably because such means I can eat more, and I do like eating. Bit hard to snarf on a ceramic bowl vs a roasted acorn squash, no?

Not that I would know how feels munching on a ceramic bowl, you weirdos.

With pumpkin curry, we continue forth with the pumpapalooza I fully endorse for any sort of political office, and especially household office. Curry keeps beautifully and even improves over time, but if you’re feeling the chill in the air one night and just need something to warm your little toes, this dish hits the spot. Warming, appropriately spicy, infused with vitamin-rich pumpkin puree and finished with chickpeas and kale for extra nutrition before you scoop ladles full of this bright stew into tender roasted squash bowls.

Did I mention this curry is vegan as well? Score! Though I’m not vegan myself, I lean quite plant-based (if you’re new here, hi, I lean quite plant-based, in case you skipped that tidbit in the sentence preceding) and love when a dish is accidentally vegan.

Pumpkin Carving? Try Squash Carving

Just don’t poke a face into your acorn squashes. Kind of defeats the purpose of molding it into a bowl. Unless you have an extra squash and are specifically bored tapering for your marathon, then have at it, bro.

Pictured above demonstrates how the squash should look after carving the head, butt, and guts, but I’ll do my best to describe the process here. Start your adventure by heating the oven to 425 and lightly greasing a big ole sheetpan.

First, with the sharpest knife you have, cut off the top, about 3/4-1 inch below the stem. The top is the wider part of the squash, FYI, unless you have a weirdly symmetrical gourd. Keep the hat for aesthetics. Then, carve a circle in the flesh, leaving about 1/2 inch from the border and pressing the knife firmly but carefully until the tip hits the hollow center. Wiggle the circle of flesh until it detaches. Voila – seeds and guts!

Take a spoon and carefully scoop out the tendrils of squash mush and the seeds. Don’t scrape too much of the inner flesh out, especially from the bottom, else you’ll have a nice leak in your boat.

Finally, snip off just enough of the bottom to create a flat surface: the squash should be able to stand upright easily. I basically had to trim the little nub and a sliver above it. The resulting base was a bit over an inch in diameter.

Congrats, you survived! Stand the squashes upright on the prepared baking sheet. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of salt, pepper, and cinnamon powder. Roast for 20-25 minutes. Test with a fork, but don’t capsize your squash by prodding the bottom. Poke the sides instead. When done, let the squashes hang out on the counter while you prep the curry.

The Simple Shit

You survived the “hard” part. Bravo! Treat yourself to basically doing nothing to prepare the rest of dinner.

Well, except mincing some aromatics and opening some cans. Part of the job, kids.

Heat some olive oil in a large pan and saute onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and fresh ginger until soft and fragrant. I always toast curry spices before adding the remaining components, and suggest you do the same. Warm a blend of curry powder, turmeric, cumin, paprika, coriander, and cinnamon until the smell drifts around you, just a few minutes does the trick. Stir in tomato paste and maple syrup or honey.

Pour a can of coconut milk, about 1 cup of broth or water, and pumpkin puree into the pan, stir, and cover. For the love of whatever holy figure you worship, don’t buy pumpkin pie filling. Now you have dessert curry, and that sounds deplorable. Simmer the curry gently for 10-15 minutes, tasting for salt and pepper on occasion.

For the finishing punch, add in the kale and chickpeas. If you have neither on hand, use whatever is in your crisper drawer or which sounds tasty. Spinach, carrots, sweet potato…Those sound particularly good, but play around. The beauty of curry is it’s casual nature. Takes to most anything.

Fun Touches

When the curry is thick, creamy, and permeates your whole house like an Indian restaurant, time to serve it up.

If you accidentally punched the bottom of your squashes out of carelessness or fury, no sweat. Just set them in a shallow bowl – they’re still plenty edible and plenty cute. Scoop enough curry to fill the squashes or your family’s varying appetites.

I decked the bowls out with some chopped pecans and thyme, mostly because I had both and needed to use them before I forgot them in their respective storage areas. The pecans added a hint of saltiness and a nice little texture variance, though, and I recommend you give it a try if you wish. Pepitas or walnuts work, too.

If you’re really resistant to the squash idea, the curry is just as special without it. However, it’s a good add-on to impress your guests – and yourself, not to mention. Sometimes cooking to please your own mind is more than enough. This curry won’t be sad if you don’t serve it in baked squashes, though. Like I said, it’s good natured. Take it out to dinner sometime.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

More curries to give a go-go:

Weeknight Saucy Thai Peanut Shrimp with Chili Sesame Pineapple

Sheetpan Curried Salmon and Potatoes with Spicy Green Chutney

Indian Coconut Basil Butter Chickpeas