Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa 

It all started when I made Harissa,  fresh red chilies from the market called for it. Along with using the Harissa as a condiment, I was looking for different ways to use Harissa in the cooking. So when I saw nice pumpkin in the market, I decide to make a dish that uses both the pumpkin and the Harissa. So here I present Pumpkin shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa.

I had seen a recipe for a pumpkin curry and my recipe is inspired by that. The squash/pumpkin makes the dish very creamy without adding a lot of fat. The spice from Harissa, sweetness from squash/pumpkin, tang from the lime juice…it is a perfect balance of all flavors.

Sorry I did not take a lot of pictures when I made it for dinner, but I will try to write all the steps in detail so it will be easy to follow.

Pumpkin Shrimp curry with a touch of Harissa

Ingredients

1lb shrimps cleaned

1/2 onion chopped fine

1 roma tomato chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic chopped fine

1/2 inch ginger chopped fine

1 squash/pumpkin

1/2 tsp curry powder ( I make my own at home)

1/2 tsp Harissa Paste

2 cups of chicken broth( you can also use veg broth or plain water)

1/2 can of coconut milk

Chopped cilantro

lime zest

1 tsp lime juice

Fried onions ( I usually make a large batch and keep in the fridge since I use it in many dishes)

Method

Clean the butternut squash. Chop 1/2 of the squash/pumpkin in small cubes. Arrange them on a baking sheet, drizzle some oil and salt and bake in a 350F oven for 10 mins.

Take the rest of the squash/pumpkin and cook it in the pressure cooker till soft. Once cooled make puree in the blender.

Take shrimps and marinate with a bit of salt, lime juice and harissa paste, keep aside for 10-15 mins.

In a wok, heat oil.

Add onions and ginger and saute on a low-medium heat. You dont want them to burn.

Add tomato and garlic and saute a little longer. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the pumpkin puree and saute for 10 mins till the pumpkin is brown.

Add curry powder and saute for 30 secs. Now add the stock, coconut milk and simmer on low for 15-20 mins.

Add the roasted squash/pumpkin, shrimps and continue heating till the roasted squash/pumpkin is heated through.

Add lime juice. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Garnish with lime zest, cilantro and fried onions and serve with cooked brown rice.

Note:

I think this can be easily made without shrimps. You can substitute tofu or add more squash/pumpkin to make a vegetarian version of this dish.