Roasted kabocha squash with curried sauce is a delightful vegetable dish with the natural sweetness of roasted kabocha squash, rich coconut cream, spiciness from the red curry paste and warming turmeric.
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Move on over meat!
This delicious roasted kabocha squash recipe and forbidden black rice dish is going to take center stage. The one thing that puts this curry recipe beyond other curries is that it made for Royal Thai traditional taste. This dish has deliciously sweet roasted kabocha squash with a drizzle of rich and creamy Thai curry sauce ladled on top. Blissful!
Warm Up From Inside Out
When it is damp outside, my whole body craves curry. It is like some obsession. I can't stop thinking about it. Nothing will satiate this craving like a delicious bowl of roasted kabocha squash curry. We served ours with a side of black forbidden rice which is the perfect dish for Halloween, don't you think? If you want to make a fun and festive curry for the fall season, be sure yo try our Thai Pumpkin Curry served in a whole roasted pumpkin bowl.
Choochee Fak Thawg Yaang
The first time I tried roasted pumpkin with curried sauce was blissful. In Thai, this dish is called "Choochee Fak Thawg Yaang".
How to Crack Curry?
The secret to this recipe is the stirring of the coconut cream with water constantly until the water has evaporated back off and the coconut cream coats the back of a spoon and the coconut cream cracks. You have to work fast and keep moving your ladle in the wok to press the coconut cream up the sides of the wok and then turn over. You cannot be distracted for these 5 minutes.
Why Does Curry Crack?
Simmering your coconut "cream with your aromatic Thai curry spices forces the oils to come out and that is what they mean by "cracking" of the coconut cream. In addition, simmering the coconut cream also forces water to evaporate and makes a very rich and delicious curry.
So why do you ask would you add water to the coconut cream and then try to reduce the coconut cream ... Heck I don't know, but the measurements makes for a perfectly delicious curry and I would not change a thing.
Recipe Exchange Alternatives
This traditional Thai curry paste is made with dried red chilies, salt, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime rind, coriander roots, black peppercorns, garlic, shallots and shrimp paste. However, a super easy short cut is to add prepared red curry paste.
A Thai red curry paste that I have used before is Mae Ply Thai Curry Paste and Thai Kitchen's red curry paste. It has all of the necessary ingredients and saves a ton of time.
Turmeric's Healing Power
One ingredient that I added to this recipe is a little turmeric as I need the extra warmth and healing anti-inflammatory power to get me through this cool and damp week. Try our Turmeric Vegetable Medley, Golden Spiced Noodle Soup and our Easy Spiced Golden Milk to boost your immunity.
Kabocha squash is a sweet winter squash we have in Asia. However, a delicious butternut or acorn squash would be just as lovely.
It is important to keep the balance of salty, sweet, spicy and sour in a Thai recipe. So, I added just a pinch of salt and the kabocha squash is sweet enough without adding any sugars. I have left the recipe in its original form but this recipe can also be made without fish sauce or sugar if need be.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
You can store roasted kabocha squash and the curried sauce in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 days on in the freezer for up to 2 months.
It is sweet and think it tastes cross between a sweet potato and pumpkin.
Kabocha squash should sound hallow when you tap it and the stem starts to shrivel a little bit.
Delicious Curry Recipes
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Roasted Kabocha Squash with Curried Sauce
Ingredients
Roasted Kabocha Squash
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 6 slices kabocha squash
thick slices- seeds removed and skin removed- can exchange with butternut or acorn squash - ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
Curried Sauce
- 1.25 cups coconut cream
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste adjust to desired spiciness level
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or to taste (if you cannot find fish sauce then add salt to taste)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar alternative of choice - I did not add any at all and let the natural sweetness of the squash shine through.
- ⅓ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon turmeric dried ground or 1 tablespoon freshly grated
Garnishes
- cilantro optional as desired
- Red Chili optional as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (374 F). On a greased or parchment lined baking tray, lay out your 6 slices of kabocha squash and brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with garlic salt on both sides. Bake for about 20 minutes or just until fork tender. Do not overcook as you still want it to have some texture.
- While your kabocha squash is in the oven baking, add your coconut cream and water to your wok and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the water has evaporated back off and the coconut cream coats the back of a spoon. You have to work fast and keep moving your ladle in the wok to press the coconut cream up the sides of the wok and then turn over. You cannot be distracted for these 5 minutes. Add your red curry paste. If you like it really mild (like me) then just add a teaspoon at a time until you get it to right heat level- taste along the way. If you like it extra spicy, add 2 tablespoons. Keep stirring your wok until the coconut cream cracks. Simmering your coconut "cream" with your aromatic Thai curry spices forces the oils to come out and that is what they mean by "cracking" of the coconut cream.)
- Add your fish sauce and palm sugar or sugar alternative of choice. Keep stirring your wok and add the coconut milk. Stir and bring to another boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. (Just as an FYI- there are also gluten-free and vegan fish sauces on the market)
- Arrange your roasted kabocha squash on a serving platter along with your forbidden black rice or Thai Jasmine white rice and pour the curry sauce over the kabocha squash. Garnish with red chillies and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
Ken says
Always love creative squash recipes -- so tired of just baking it.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you. You are going to love that curry sauce. Take Care
gourmetgetaway says
WOW~ What a delicious looking dish! These are my favourite foods, roasted squash and black rice YUM!!
Thanks so much for sharing
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Julie. I think these are my Asian comfort foods too.
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
I absolutely love anything Thai, Bam. This is visually stunnning together with that black rice - I'd love to try it! I especially like how you explain the sauce: "So why do you add water and then evaporate it out again? Heck, I don't know." Hahaha ... I love it!
Healthy World Cuisine says
I am also completely in love with Thai flavors too Helen. I know how strange...add water and take it back out, but really it works and I don't know why.
The Foodie Affair says
I can give up a lot, but wine?? You are a brave healthy lady!! This whole meal is just beautiful and I just want to stick my finger in that sauce for a taste!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Sandra. I have to tell you a day without wine is a like a day without sunshine but we have not had sun here in HK for at least a month so a good time to do a candida cleanse.
Bhavna's Food Journey says
Beautiful presentation, I am a big fan of Thai food 😛
Amira says
Bam, this looks divine. your Choochee Fak Thawg Yaang is out of this world.. although this kind of squash is not my favorite but I need to try this.