WINTER SQUASH AND WILD MUSHROOM CURRY

Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry image

This is comfort food, Indian-style, adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. It's also vegan, and perfect for a fall evening. Use a mixture of cultivated mushrooms; they come in all shapes and sizes. Look for royal trumpets, a large, meaty type of oyster mushroom; shiitakes, and small portobellos. Use some wild mushrooms too, if you can, like golden chanterelles, lobster or hen of the woods. You can make this as spicy as you wish, but be sure to include some cayenne and green chile, to complement and play off the creamy coconut milk sauce. Serve with basmati rice, rice noodles or mashed potatoes.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories dinner, easy, lunch, quick, curries, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 ounces butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 or 2 small green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano
3 medium shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Handful of fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound mushrooms, preferably a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Steps:

In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.
Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This helps the chiles heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)
Add shallots, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.
Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.
Before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 180, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 14 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 461 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams