Red Curry Pumpkin Pilaf

This is one of those recipes that my husband was totally skeptical of. Pumpkin rice? How is that going to work! Well, you’ll never know unless you try. The pumpkin actually did something wonderfully special to this recipe. It gave it a smooth, creamy, cheesey feel to it. My husband was sure there was cheese in the rice, but nope! It was just the pumpkin. While everyone (including myself) are throwing around pumpkin recipes for Halloween and Thanksgiving, it is easy to forget that in some parts of the world pumpkin is a staple squash found in the market. Pumpkin can be made into more things than just dessert breads and cheesecake bars, it can be savory and nutritious. I came up with this recipe inspired by Thai flavors with the red curry paste and coconut milk. So, if you are feeling slightly adventurous, join in and celebrate savory pumpkin possibilities and see that pumpkin totally goes with rice. Whoda thunkit?

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 tablespoons thai red curry paste

1 1/2 cups rice

2 cups (1 can) coconut milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a medium or large saucepan. Saute the onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in the red curry paste and let all the onions turn a nice red. Add in the rice and toast for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add in the coconut milk and pumpkin and season with salt. Give it a stir so that it gets distributed throughout the rice. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. 10-15 minutes. With coconut milk there tends to be residual liquid on the top so don’t let it fool you into thinking the rice needs more time. Give it a quick stir if in doubt. Taste and add more salt if desired. 

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