Maybe it’s the cold weather, but I’ve really been craving foods that are spicy, savory, and full of carbs. I guess it’s my body’s way of telling me that I need to build up my “winter coat” . . .
I’ve had this recipe by Kevin at Closet Cooking bookmarked for a long time, and as I had a lonely butternut squash (I love how winter squash seems to keep forever) and one can of coconut milk left in the pantry, I decided to try it out.
I wasn’t disappointed; spicy from the chile paste, tart from the lime juice and tempered by the sweet creaminess of the squash simmered in the coconut milk, this nourishing dish really satisfied my spicy-carbalicious cravings.
Here’s the recipe, with my changes annotated.
- 1 tablespoon oil (I used cold-pressed organic peanut oil, which has a great aroma)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 2 cups butternut squash (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used a lite coconut milk from Trader Joe’s with no ill effects)
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or sugar)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce (used Lee Kum Kee’s Chile-Garlic paste)
- 1 handful coconut (toasted) (omitted; didn’t have any :/)
- 1 handful cilantro (chopped) (ditto here . . .)
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the squash, coconut milk, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, chili sauce, cover and simmer until the squash it tender, about 30 minutes.
Set the squash aside and reduce the liquid.
Pour the reduced coconut milk onto the squash and garnish with coconut and cilantro.
If you get a chance, stop by Kevin’s blog and check it out; he updates often with all sorts of interesting recipes from all sorts of cuisines!
2 Comments
this looks delicous! I am going to try this for dinner soon.
@Bev: I hope you enjoy it!