Pumpkin curry (wattaka kalu pol)

A simple but delicious vegetable curry recipe that uses Sri Lanka’s dark roasted curry powder and is thickened and flavoured with toasted rice and desiccated coconut. A truly glorious dish to serve as part of a shared meal.

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 2 medium red onions, finely sliced 
• 2 sprigs curry leaves 
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced 
• 3 long green chillies, sliced 
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds, ground
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds 
• 1 kg pumpkin, cut into cubes, skin left on 
• 1 tsp seeded mustard 
• 2 tbsp dark roasted curry powder 
• 1 tsp chilli powder 
• 1 tsp turmeric 
• 1–2 tsp salt 
• 500 ml (2 cups) coconut milk 
• 2 tbsp short-grain rice, plus extra, cooked, to serve 
• ⅓ cup desiccated coconut

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, curry leaves, garlic and green chilli. Fry briefly then add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and continue frying.

Quickly toss the pumpkin in a bowl with the seeded mustard, ground spices and salt and add to the pan along with the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and cook over high heat until the pumpkin is tender.

Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan and dry-fry the rice and coconut until brown and fragrant. Grind to a powder in a mortar or blender.

Add the rice and coconut powder to the curry and cook for a few more minutes. Serve with rice.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.