An easy and delicious curry perfect for my nearly-wild curry mix, or any good homemade mix from wild or cultivated spices. I like to use this recipe to test out different combinations or variations on my wild or cultivated curry mixes, since it has a very simple set of ingredients that I almost always have on hand in the fall and winter. It’s the perfect test recipe to use for your own variations and experiments – the tartness of the tomatoes is softened by the sweetness of pumpkin (calabaza squash works great too), creating a perfect canvas for your spice combination!
This recipe works great on the stovetop, but can also be made in a slow-cooker. When I cook stews like this in a slow-cooker, I don’t simply add everything at once, but follow the basic procedure for stovetop cooking, adding the ingredients in stages to the slow-cooker set on high.
Combine in a pan or slow-cooker
2 tbs neutral vegetable oil
2 tbs ground curry powder, masala mix, or near-wild curry mix
4 oz onion, minced (grated if using slow-cooker)
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes, strained of juice
Cook until onions are softened (10 minutes stovetop, 1 hour slow-cooker), then add:
1 lb. pumpkin or calabaza squash, cut into chunks
3/4 cup tomato juice or stock or nettle tea or water
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
Cover and cook until pumpkin is softened and liquid is somewhat reduced (45 minutes stovetop, 3-4 hours slow cooker)
This is excellent served over brown rice or lentil dal. I like to add a little chopped fresh cilantro, wild chervil, pushkin or other aromatic herb leaf. I also recommend combining with tart fermented vegetables or torn bitter leaves of wild or cultivated greens, such as dames rocket, dandelion, or escarole. To tart things up a bit, dried coconut flakes (unsweetened), crushed cashews, fermented chile sauces, grated lemon zest, and thinly sliced thai basil leaves are all good options. But the beauty of this recipe is it is so simple it can be accompanied with whatever is handy.
How to Cook a Weed 