Thai pumpkin and fish coconut curry

Just when I thought that winter  finally said its last adios this year, it came back ,  unwelcome if I may add, on my weekend off at work. Talks and plans about a nice Sunday walk slipped into the abyss as the day dragged on cold, drizzly and sunless. Well, time to cook something to warm the bones then!

Pumpkin and Fish Coconut Curry Recipe:

Ingredients:

800 g fish ( I used halibut and salmon)

600- 800 g pumpkin, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 big red onion, diced
2 tbsp. red Thai chili paste

2 thumb sized ginger, chopped

5 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp. lemongrass paste 

1 x 400 ml coconut milk

300 ml water

2 tsp. tamarind pulp

2 tbsp. palm sugar

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 ( or more, if you like it really spicy ) red chillies , chopped
juice of 1 lime/lemon
salt and pepper to taste


Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat coconut oil , sauté diced red onion and ginger until aromatic. Stir in chili paste until well incorporated in oil.

2.  Add coconut milk  and water into the wok,  stir in lemongrass paste and bring to a boil.

3. Add in the sour-sweet- salty and spicy components, which is essential in Thai cuisine.  I used tamarind pulp, palm sugar , chopped chilies and  fish sauce.

3. Put chopped peeled pumpkin into the wok. Cover wok and let pumpkin simmer in curry sauce for about 7 mins or until just tender. 

4. Arrange fish on top.

4. Put chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with lime or lemon juice. Cover and let it simmer just long enough to cook the fish. Takes about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on how thick your filets are. Serve piping hot on white rice.

Ahhhh better than hot chocolate and marshmallow on a snowy day, I tell you.