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Burmese pumpkin curry
Shwe phayon thee hin (ရွှေဖရုံသီးဟင်း): golden pumpkin simmered in garlic, ginger and turmeric oil
On a weekday lunch table in a Yangon home, this soft orange curry usually sits beside a sour leaf soup, a plate of boiled greens and a mound of plain rice. Wedges of pumpkin are cooked slowly in a pounded paste of onion, garlic and ginger with turmeric and chilli, until the flesh turns tender and glossy and the oil rises to the top, the sign of a well-made Burmese hin. It tastes sweet, gently hot and savoury all at once; many households stir in dried shrimp, but this version keeps it plant-based with a little salt and sugar. Where cooks go wrong is stirring the pot every few minutes: the pumpkin breaks into mash, so shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: leave the skin on a firm, dense pumpkin such as kabocha; it holds the pieces together and softens enough to eat.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the paste
- 2 onionsroughly chopped
- 6 garlic clovespeeled
- ½ oz fresh gingerpeeled and sliced
For the curry
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp chilli powdermore if you like it hot
- 1 ¾ lb pumpkin or kabocha squashseeded, cut into 4 cm chunks, skin on if tender
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ cup water
To serve
- 2 green chillies (optional)split lengthways
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)chopped
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice (optional)to serve
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pound or blitz 2 onions, 6 garlic cloves and ½ oz fresh ginger to a coarse, wet paste. Squeeze out a little of the onion juice if it is very watery; a drier paste fries better.
Step 2: Heat 5 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat until it shimmers. Stir in ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp chilli powder for 10 seconds, until the oil turns red-gold.
Step 3: Add the onion paste and fry over a medium-low heat, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes, until it loses its raw smell, turns deep golden and the oil starts to separate from it.
12 minStep 4: Add 1 ¾ lb pumpkin or kabocha squash, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar and turn the pieces gently in the paste for 2 minutes, until every piece is coated orange.
2 minStep 5: Pour in ¾ cup water, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over a low heat for 12–15 minutes. Shake the pan now and then rather than stirring, so the pieces stay whole.
15 minStep 6: Uncover and simmer for 3–4 more minutes, until a knife slides easily into the pumpkin, the sauce is thick and glossy, and a film of red oil sits on the surface.
4 minStep 7: Taste and add more salt if needed. Tuck in 2 green chillies for the last minute if using.
Step 8: Scatter with 1 handful fresh coriander and serve warm with 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice and a sour soup or a crisp salad alongside.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does burmese pumpkin curry take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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