Winter Squash Curry

Ingredients

4 cups winter squash (butternut squash kabocha pumpkin, etc) -- diced
4 tablespoons thick red curry paste
3 cups coconut milk
16 ounces block firm tofu -- drained, patted dry and cut into 1/2 in cubes
4 tablespoons sliced long red chili
1/4 cup fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons palm or brown sugar

Instructions

Cook the squash in boiling water until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to an ice bath until cool. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan, mix the curry paste and about 3/4 cup (65 ml) of the coconut milk. Cook for about 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the squash and the remaining coconut milk. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until boiling. Add the tofu, chili, and Thai basil leaves. Stir ingredients carefully so as not to break the tofu. Stir in the salt and palm sugar. Description:
"For fast suppers with sensational flavors, think Thai-style curries. Contrasts really fly in curries. For instance finish a curry of leftover chicken and roasted vegetables with a few chunks of pineapple and a lot of lime juice.

Notes

NOTES : The basic makings are easy to have on hand, coconut milk and chiles, and of course you want a tub or jar of imported Thai curry paste. Yes, Thai cooks use them; too, when they don't have time to pull the together curry pastes' laundry lists of ingredients. Red curry paste is usually robust and mild to hot; green is fresher, brighter and often hotter, and yellow is often the mildest with roasted spices and turmeric. Commercial curry pastes hold in the refrigerator for six months and more. Two brands we've liked are Nittaya and Mae Ploy. The next one we're trying is Hand curry pastes; the word on the street is they're worth ordering online.

Rarely will I boil a vegetable, especially something like a squash. All the flavor and nutrients are lost in the cooking water. Squash are so easy to roast in the oven where the retain all their goodness. Perfect for this recipe too.

I doubled the curry paste and used a bit more coconut milk, but otherwise followed the recipe. This was fantastic. Easily one of the most "Thai restaurant-tasting" curry dishes I have made at home.