This is a great weekday meal that was adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s adaptation of David Tanis’ NYTimes recipe. Dialing up or down the spice mixture is up to you, but it can handle some kick if you want to add it. We used butternut & delicata squash and a mixture of wild mushrooms, but feel free to experiment.
For this you’ll need: 1/2 medium butternut squash (peeled and seeds removed), 1/2 delicata squash (not peeled but seeds removed), 1-2 cups mixed wild mushrooms (medium sliced), x2 green chiles (jalapeño or similar), 3 medium shallots (finely chopped), 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (black or yellow), 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped or minced), 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 + 1 tsp curry powder, 1 + 1 tsp garam masala, pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 3/4 cup coconut milk (full fat), 2 Tbsp lime juice, 3-5 Tbsp vegetable oil, salt.
Cut the squashes into 1/2″ pieces. Heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil n a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the squashes unitl just browning on all sides (turning them a few times). Remove browned squashed from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and set aside on a plate.
Cut a long cut down one side of each of the chiles creating an opening but not cutting them completely in half, leave them whole.
Add a touch more oil to the pan if needed and the chopped shallots and a sprinkling of salt. Stir well over medium heat until just softening, 1 minute. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and stir to combine well 30 secs. Add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, chiles, 1 tsp curry powder and 1 tsp garam masala. Stir well to combine and heat through, about another minute.
Add the chipped mushrooms and stir well. Turn up the heat slightly let the mushrooms soften – about 5 minutes. Add the browned squashes, coconut milk and another 1+tsp of both the curry powder and garam masala. Add salt if needed. Lower the heat to let the sauce simmer. If the sauce begins to look dry, add a splash of water. Simmer until the squash cubes have cooked through, another 5 mins. Add more spice or seasoning as needed.
Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Serve over rice.
Dinner at Our Place 