Red Pumpkin and Tamarind Curry

Ingredients

• 1 quarter (about 1.5 lbs) Red pumpkin (calabaza or kabocha squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (Use calabaza, kabocha, or red kuri squash)
• 2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp (From 2-3 tamarinds, or use prepared tamarind paste)
• 2 cups Water (For dissolving tamarind and curry base)
• 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil or ghee (For frying pumpkin)
• 1 medium Onion, thinly sliced (For curry base)
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon Red chili powder (Adjust to taste)
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Salt (To taste)
• 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced

Instructions

1. 1Dissolve the tamarind pulp in 1 cup of warm water. Strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds and fibers, pressing to extract all liquid. Set aside.
2. 2Peel the pumpkin quarter and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
3. 3Heat oil in a large pan or kadhai over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and fry, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
4. 4Add minced ginger and garlic to the fried onions and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add turmeric, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. Stir well for 30 seconds.
5. 5Add the pumpkin cubes to the spiced onion mixture. Stir gently to coat the pumpkin with spices. Fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin pieces begin to soften and develop light golden edges.
6. 6Pour the prepared tamarind water and remaining 1 cup of water into the pan. Stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the pumpkin is tender and the curry has thickened slightly.
7. 7Taste and adjust salt if needed. The curry should have a balanced sweet-sour flavor from the tamarind. Serve hot with rice or flatbreads.