butternut squash curry

What do you do with all your leftover butternut after you're burnt out on holiday foods? Not everything has to contain nutmeg and brown sugar, right? After making soup from some tasty butternut squashes, we had a couple of already-roasted pieces leftover that didn't make it into the soup. (Remember, I said it's a to-taste soup!) I asked Jason what we could do with them and he mentioned throwing it into a curry dish. I initially balked at the idea- curry with butternut squash? But I trust his judgement and he did his thing. I imagined a pureed squash being stirred into the final product, but he simply cubed up the already-roasted squash and tossed it in. It melted into the curry but left big chunks, so the end result was a thick, creamy, sweet and mild curry that held up well to the sambal chili sauce we mixed in. I don't usually add chili sauce to things because I think it can overwhelm subtle flavors, but in this case it just perfectly highlighted the mildness of the squash in comparison to the warm spice of the curry.

How we did it:

1 can of coconut milk
Some red curry paste (we always use Thai Curry brand. We got fancy homemade curry paste from the farmer's market once, and aside from being a bit spicier, Jason and I agreed that it tasted just like the Thai Curry stuff.)
Assorted vegetables of your choosing, though you can't go wrong with carrot, broccoli, celery, onion, bell pepper, etc.
Some sort of protein- we use chicken thighs in our curry, the darker leg meat goes wonderful with the rich flavors. Tofu and tempeh would work wonderfully, of course, or mock duck if you can find it, that stuff is AMAZING.
Chopped garlic & onion
A large handful of cubed, roasted butternut squash. (This can be done well in advance. It will keep fine in your fridge for a day or two.)
Splash of soy sauce
Pinch of brown sugar
Splash of fish sauce (or vegan oyster sauce if you can find it, haha)


In a large pan, saute chopped garlic and onions for a minute or two, then add chicken or mock duck, then add the rest of your vegetables. Throw in a little bit of soy sauce and a teeny tiny splash of fish sauce (I use less than 1/4 tsp.) and let it simmer for a moment. Add about half a can of coconut milk, and begin stirring in curry paste 1 tablespoon at a time until you think it tastes good. Add butternut squash and stir well. Let simmer until vegetables are cooked to your preference (and make sure meat is fully cooked). Serve with jasmine rice. (We used brown basmati rice. Brown jasmine would be even more delicious, but it's hard to find.) Top with Sambal Oelek for a little spice.