Butternut squash red curry with tofu

John Torode’s Butternut red curry (Yuki Sugiura/PA)

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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 716 Calories from Fat 468

% Daily Value*

Fat 52g80%

Saturated Fat 43g269%

Cholesterol 48mg16%

Sodium 440mg19%

Potassium 1163mg33%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 19647IU393%

Vitamin C 67mg81%

Calcium 222mg22%

Iron 9mg50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Butternut squash red curry with tofu

A rich vegetarian curry that packs loads of flavour

Cook Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Calories: 716kcal

Author: John Torode

Equipment

Bowl
Small frying pan
Food processor or mortar and pestle
Saucepan

Ingredients

For the paste (makes enough for 3-4 curries):

50 g medium dried red chillies
1 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp mace blade (a spice available from Amazon)
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh galangal roughly chopped
1 lemongrass stalk outer leaves removed and inner leaves roughly chopped
3 fresh red chillies de-seeded and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves peeled
3 small Thai shallots chopped
A handful of fresh coriander root soaked and washed
finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
25 g shrimp paste toasted
6 lime leaves
2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the curry:

1 medium butternut squash
300 g firm tofu
Vegetable oil for frying
150 g red curry paste
125 g creamed coconut
800 ml coconut milk
40 g palm sugar
4 lemongrass stalks bruised
12 lime leaves torn
4 thumb-sized pieces of galangal roughly chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce (or add a vegetarian fish sauce substitute or 1tsp salt)

To garnish:

Fried chillies, shallots and garlic
1 fresh red chilli, sliced (optional)

Method

To make the paste, snap the stalk end from the dried red chillies and shake out the seeds. Put the dried chillies into a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave for about 20 minutes until they have plumped up, then drain but keep them wet.
Heat a small dry frying pan over a medium heat until hot, then add the peppercorns, both lots of seeds, the cloves and mace blade and dry-fry, stirring regularly, until nicely toasted, about two minutes.
Tip the toasted spices into a mortar and pestle or food processor and pound or blend to a fine powder. Add the galangal and lemongrass and pound or blend to a paste. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the soaked chillies, and pound or blend to a paste.
Peel and de-seed the butternut squash, then cut into chunks the size of golf balls. Cut the tofu into similar-sized pieces. Set both to one side.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a medium saucepan, then add the curry paste and cook for a minute or so. Add the creamed coconut and the creamy layer from the top of the tins of coconut milk and cook over a medium heat for five to six minutes – it will start to colour and smell of roasted coconut, but watch that it doesn’t burn.
Now add the palm sugar, reduce the heat and cook gently for about five to 10 minutes, stirring until it is rich red in colour and no longer smells raw. The oil will separate from the mixture and then gradually start to come back together as the mixture thickens and darkens. Be careful not to let it burn.
Add the squash pieces and stir well so that the paste coats them all, cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in the coconut milk and 200ml water and bring to the boil. Drop in the lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal, add half the fish sauce, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes. Stir in the tofu and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes.
To finish, season with extra palm sugar if it’s too spicy, or the remaining fish sauce if it’s a little bland. The sauce should taste sweet, hot and just slightly salty. Dress with some fried garnish and the sliced chilli and serve immediately.

Nutrition