Thai Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas

- Serves 4-5
​My family has always loved a good Thai yellow curry mainly because of its clean flavors. The sweetness from coconut milk with just a hint of chili, it’s the perfect curry to get your kids started on the wonderful flavors of Thai cuisine. Although the traditional way is to make this dish is with chicken and potatoes, I often serve this creamy curry with sweet, seasonal pumpkin and nutty chickpeas. The addition of fried black mustard seeds and green cardamoms is my Indian twist to the dish and the icing on the cake; the two spices lend a wonderful flavor and sweet aroma to this already fabulous dish. Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients for Thai Pumpkin curry with Chickpeas

400g canned chickpeas, drained or 1/2 cup dried chickpeas
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
4-6 green cardamom pods, pounded in a mortar and pestle 
1 medium or 150g onion, chopped into large cubes
2 tablespoons Mae Ploy yellow curry paste OR 1 portion homemade curry paste (see recipe below)
1kg pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into large cubes
400ml Ayam coconut milk
250ml or 1 cup vegetable stock (use only if using canned chickpeas)
2 tablespoons (or to taste) brown sugar or palm sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (or 1 teaspoon salt)
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped or Thai sweet basil
To make fresh curry paste:
1 stalk lemongrass (thick bottom half), finely chopped
1 fresh red bird’s eye chili, chopped
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
1" piece galangal or ginger, peeled and chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste OR  1 tablespoon fish sauce OR 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt 
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/3 teaspoon white pepper powder
1/4 cup water or coconut cream

Recipe
  1. Wash and soak dried chickpeas overnight in 4 cups of water. Pressure-cook chickpeas for about 20 minutes on low heat once pressure is full. If using a saucepan, bring chickpeas to a boil, lower heat then cover and cook for about 1.5 hours until tender. Drain chickpeas, reserve 250ml chickpea stock to use in STEP 4.
  2. Heat oil in a large saucepan, drop in mustard seeds. When seeds start spluttering, add onion, cardamom pods and yellow curry paste . Stir fry for a few minutes until fragrant. 
  3. Add pumpkin and coat in the paste. Next add coconut milk and stir.
  4. Add chickpeas and stock, bring to the boil.
  5. Cover and cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes until pumpkin is slightly tender. Add brown sugar, lemon juice and fish sauce/salt, stir.
  6. Garnish with mint/basil leaves. Serve hot with Jasmine rice or naan bread.
To make fresh curry paste:
  1. ​Place all ingredients listed for paste in your food processor and blend until smooth. Add a few teaspoons of water if necessary to get the blender running. Use this quantity to make curry above. 
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