Summer Squash Curry, Shellfish Optional
Published July 12, 2016
Evan Sung for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 serrano or bird’s-eye chile pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon fish sauce or light soy sauce
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 can coconut milk (about 13.5 ounces)
2 pounds small summer squash, cut in 1-inch cubes, slices or wedges
1 cup shelled peas (optional)
2 pounds mussels (optional)
1 pound squid (optional)
Mint leaves, for garnish
Basil leaves, for garnish
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
26 grams carbs; 218 milligrams cholesterol; 464 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1246 milligrams sodium; 36 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened without browning, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Add garlic, ginger, chile, turmeric, fish sauce (or soy sauce, for vegetarians) and lime zest and juice, stir, and cook for an additional minute. Add coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Add summer squash and peas, if using, and cook gently until just tender but still firm, about 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, if using mussels and squid, put 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add mussels, stir, and cover. When mussels begin to open, after 3 or 4 minutes, add squid, stir and cook, covered, for 2 minutes more. Turn off heat. (Skip this step for a vegetarian version of the recipe.)
- Step 5
Transfer squash and sauce to a deep, wide serving dish or divide among large soup bowls. If using, scatter mussels and squid over the top. Garnish with mint, basil and cilantro.
Private Notes
Comments
"Curry" isn't a thing. It's a generic term for a range of spice and chile mixtures. Ginger, garlic, and turmeric, as in this recipe is more of a southeast Asian curry. Cumin, coriander, and turmeric are the core of many Indian curries. "Curry powder" is an invention of Europeans.
the combination of garlic, ginger, chile and turmeric make it a perfectly valid curry dish.
Where's the curry in this recipe for "Summer Quash Curry?
I made this with shrimp. I tripled the garlic, used two Serrano chilies because I didn’t have birdseye, added extra onions and herbs, only used the juice of half a lime because it was a big lime. I nearly halved the turmeric because it seemed like too much - and it was. I used patty pans I bought at the farmers market on a whim - they were watery and flavorless (I’ll stick with zucchini going forward). Thankfully I added snow peas and shiitake mushrooms I had on hand - they added some flavor, but overall it was bland, sour, and had that dirt aftertaste that comes from too much tumeric. I added about a tsp of hot honey and some “Thai” spice blend, and more fish sauce, and that made it more edible, but it was not good. Had I followed the recipe exactly, it would have tasted like super-sour dirt.
Most of these recipes I cook and think are ok, but this was delicious! I used shrimp instead of the other suggestions, but otherwise cooked exactly as outlined and it was so easy. Just the other evening I cooked a curry that had many more ingredients but wasn’t near as tasty.
Relies strongly on the turmeric flavor. I’d make this again with Thai green curry paste, or with pork meatballs instead of the seafood and much more ginger and fish sauce.