Coconut Tamarind Vegan Curry – Recipe!

Tamarind is a native African tree, also grown in India today, that bears pods, which fruit is used in all kinds of dishes.  I have made a few recipes with tamarind paste like; Grilled Tamarind Pork Chops, Chicken Tacos and a Slow-Cooker Pot Roast with Indian Flavors.  What all these dishes have in common is incredible flavor, coming from tangy, citrusy, and slightly fruity tamarind paste.

Curries are traditionally made with a blend of warming spices, but in this recipe, tamarind paste replaces traditional dried Indian spices, and becomes the highlight of the sauce.  I decided to make this entire recipe vegan, utilizing meatless crumbles of chorizo, which also have a bit of heat, and add a special flavor to this curry.  However, it’s the Kabocha winter squash with its deep orange hue, that creates a most marvelous vegetable based curry, along with some spinach and onions to compliment the dish.

A kettle of vegan curry boiling in your kitchen is a most inspiring meal to feed your family, especially after a day like yesterday, when we all could use a great big hug.  I like to serve this dish over steaming basmati rice because it’s fragrance completes the insanely pleasant perfume, that wafts around the dining table.

Ingredients

1 Kabocha or butternut squash

1 large onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces meatless chorizo crumbles, I used Morning Star

12 ounces frozen or fresh spinach leaves

14 ounces coconut milk

1/3 cup tamarind paste

cilantro leaves for topping, optional

vegetable oil for cooking

(Serves 6)

To Prepare:

1. Slice squash in half and remove seeds.  Place in a large microwave safe bowl (you can steam it on the stove top too), and add 1 cup water.  Microwave for 20 minutes.  Remove and let cool.
2. In a large Dutch oven or pot, add 1 tablespoon oil and place over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, sauté for 4 minutes.
3. Add chorizo crumbles and stir.  Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add spinach leaves and stir.  Place lid over top of pan, so spinach melts into mixture, about 4 minutes.
4. Add coconut milk and stir until combine.  Add tamarind paste and stir into sauce.  Simmer for 5 minutes to incorporate flavors.
5. Scoop cooked squash into curry by tablespoonfuls.  Stir to incorporate some pieces into sauce, while leaving some chunky.  Sprinkle with cilantro leaves.  Serve hot over rice.  Enjoy!