Curry baked kabocha

I would be remiss if I didn’t blog about my latest obsession. My curry baked kabocha. I have been making it at least 2-3 times per week, and nope, I haven’t gotten sick of it yet! It’s absolutely divine! – spicy, salty, sweet, rich, nutty, coconutty all in one mouthful, and it’s perfect for cozy cold weather days. Just a little bit of prep work and then I let the oven do all the work as the squash roasts away for hours, filling up my house with savory Thai aromas.

So why my favorite dish as of late? If you know me, you know I absolutely love kabocha squash….it might just be one of my favorite foods. It’s a hard winter squash, similar in taste and texture to a hubbard squash, with a rough green skin and luxurious orange flesh. My father-in-law introduced me to the winter squash a few years ago, as it’s commonly used in Thai cuisine, mostly as a dessert. He first served it to me with his sweet coconut sauce he pours over his famous sticky rice dessert. I was hooked. I started eating the squash almost daily, but with my dinner, just simply steamed as a side dish with my chicken or fish or whatever I was making for dinner. And my mother-in-law let me in on her little secret about how to “ripen” the kabocha. Leave it by a window that gets direct sunlight for a week or so, and the starches in the squash richen into deep, fluffy chestnut. It’s magical.

I was inspired by this dish in the October 2020 Food and Wine magazine issue. The first time I made it, I followed the recipe to the T – very unlike me, as I’m quite the improviser. However, in following the recipe exactly, I discovered quite a few flaws in the ingredient quantities and cooking time and method. With a lot of trial and error and small tweaks here and there, I think I’ve finally mastered my curry baked kabocha, which I am proud to call my own. I’ve added my own flair to it, of course, with the addition of lentils for a bit more protein; but, you can certainly just use rice. And by no means do you have to use red curry paste. You can use red, green, or yellow, or even prik king paste, which I used the first time making this dish since that’s what I had in my pantry; however, hubby tells me prik king isn’t exactly curry at all, but rather a spicy paste that’s used for stir frying….. my ignorant self had no idea, but it still tasted delicious!

My curry baked kabocha is by no means a dish you would find anywhere in country, but it is my very own taste of Thailand at home, when my father-in-law isn’t spoiling us with his unbelievable authentic cooking. I hope you enjoy it too! By the way, I did make my curry baked kabocha without the lentils for my in-laws and they seemed to like it!

Curry baked kabocha

1 kabocha squash, about 3-3.5 lbs. (whole weight before removing insides)
¼ cup jasmine rice, dry OR if omitting lentils, use ½ cup rice
¼ cup brown or green lentils, dry
2 tsp. fish sauce, or coconut aminos (for vegan option)
2-3 Tbsp. red curry paste (adjust according to spice preference)
2/3 cup canned, full-fat organic coconut milk, recommend Native Forest Organic Coconut Simple (no guar gum added)
1/3 cup, plus 1/4 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Prepare the squash: thoroughly wash and dry the kabocha squash. Carefully create a “hat” or lid for the squash, by taking a small paring knife and at an angle, cut a circle large around the stem (about 2-3 inches away from the stem all the way around). Use the knife to pry open the lid once you have made an incision all the way around and scrape off any seeds that may be attached to the lid. Likewise, scoop out all of the seeds so you are left with a hollow squash with its lid on the side. Place the squash in a glass baking dish or a Dutch oven.
3. Prepare the rice and lentils: rinse and drain the jasmine rice and lentils together. Set aside.
4. Make the curry mixture: in a bowl, add the coconut milk, water, fish sauce, and curry paste and stir to combine and break up any chunks of curry paste.
5. Add the rice and lentils to the coconut curry and stir to combine. Carefully pour the mixture into the hollow squash and stir once more to ensure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Place the lid on the squash and cover with foil or the lid to the Dutch oven.
6. Bake for 3 hours, or until the squash is tender and the lentils and rice are cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before serving, as this dish stays hot all the way through for a while! If a lot of the cooking liquid seeps out while the squash is roasting, pour the extra coconut curry sauce on top of the squash with its lid off right before serving. The sauce may pool around the sides, but it can all be scooped up together when serving.
7. Serve with steamed green beans on the side.