Sandy Lane Farm Squash Curry

Sandy Lane Farm Squash ‘Curry’

Squash love spices, their fibrous flesh is accepting rather than getting overwhelmed. Meteor are a sweet nutty Autumn squash with a flesh not to dissimilar to kuri, but more open so less prone to drying out as it cooks, perfect for roasting. The thin skin makes this squash easy to cook without peeling it first. 

This recipe has a simple blend of aromatic spices, allowing the other vegetables to bring a depth of flavour, but the squash will easily accept more heat, more spice and fragrant herbs. Be bold and play around with your favourite.

End of season peppers are often green and less sweet than their early season siblings that bathed in late summer sun. Their flavour more floral and flesh firmer, perfect for roasting. Tomatillos give the curry a delightful citrus edge, similar to Sri Lankan dishes.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 meteor or black futsu or uchiki kuri or celebration squash
oil
Sea salt flakes
1 onion
1/3 head of celery
2 peppers
1tsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
4 cloves of garlic
1 chilli
1tsp fresh or dried turmeric
300g yoghurt
4 tomatillos or tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 200°C

1.                Begin by roasting the squash. Cut in half and remove the seeds (keep them for a tasty snack), cut into chunks and season well with oil and salt. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

2.               While the squash is roasting peel and cut the onion into large chunks, cut down the head of celery in generous slices, and cut the pepper into bite sized pieces. Season well with oil and salt and add to the squash for a further 15 minutes. 

3.               In the meantime prepare the base for the curry. Peel and smash the garlic and chop the chilli leaving the seeds in for a hot curry or remove the pith and seeds for a milder one. Lightly crush the whole spices and toast in a large pan or casserole with a little oil. When fragrant and sizzling, add the garlic, turmeric and chilli, then continue cooking for a minute or two. 

4.               By now the roasting vegetables should be tender and have the odd char mark. Add them to the pan with the spices and mix well. Add yoghurt and another 300g of water. Bring to the simmer.

5.               Remove the paper from the tomatillo and chop before adding to the curry.

6.               Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens with the flesh from the squash. Remove from the heat and serve.


Serve with rice and squash flatbreads.


Chef Notes:
1.                The flesh from the squash will breakdown and help to thicken the sauce. Don’t cook for too long as it will completely disintegrate and make a curry ‘mash’.
2.               Any dairy will work for this recipe. Try crème fraiche, soured cream or coconut milk.