Burmese tamarind-pumpkin curry

Burmese curries are relatively simple to make, but they burst with delicate flavours. Unlike their Indian and Thai counterparts, they are subtle, highlighting the vegetables rather than drowning them in spices. This is one of those perfect subtle curries.

This is a super simple curry to make. The tender pumpkin is in a wonderful tart sauce spiced with a hint of heat. The sweet pumpkin shines in the curry and absorbs the flavours, especially if enjoyed the next day. This dish will surprise your guests, so make extra. You can make this dish with sweet potatoes instead of pumpkins as a variation. For pumpkins, use any variety, but the hard yellow pumpkins are best.

This is my favourite cookbook for Burmese cuisine. It contains wonderful, well-researched recipes from all across Myanmar, and I come back to it often. I also have most of Naomi Daguid’s other cookbooks and absolutely admire her work, writing, and all the travel and research she puts into every one of her books.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon shallots, sliced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon dried shrimp powder (omit for vegan and vegetarian versions)

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

A few drops of fish sauce (omit for vegan and vegetarian versions)

1 cup water

Salt, to taste

1 lb peeled and diced pumpkin

2-3 tablespoons tamarind paste

Cilantro, minced to garnish

Heat the oil on a low flame in a pot and add the turmeric. Fry for 10 seconds, then add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the dried shrimp powder, if using, and give a quick stir. Add the chilli powder and fish sauce, if using, and continue to fry for 30 seconds.

Add the pumpkin pieces and turn the heat up to medium. Sauté the pumpkin pieces, coating them with the spices, for 2-3 minutes. Add the water, tamarind, and salt and mix in well. Simmer closed for 15 minutes until the pumpkins are cooked and quite soft. The cooking time will depend on the type of pumpkins you use and the size of the pieces you cut.

When the pumpkins are cooked, open the pot and simmer until the water reduces slightly and you have a thick sauce.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and with rice on the side.